Subject Matter Experts (also referred to as SMEs) are experts in their field who possess experiences, insights and a deep understanding of their information. If you are an Instructional Developer, Trainer, Business Professional, Data Scientist, or Legal Counsel, you may work with them at some point in your career. Subject matter experts provide context to a subject and help to bring the content "to life" by expanding your understanding of the information.
When you cultivate a healthy working relationship with an SME and ensure you have good communication, you are in turn ensuring more productive outcomes from the project you all are working on. The key to this symbiotic relationship is how easy they feel working with you (remember they also have their own projects, so it is considerate to respect their time and be clear about what you need) and how well you clarify your expectations.
This learning path will guide you through the process of engaging a SME, preparing for the interview, actively listening to their questions and responses, and providing feedback throughout the process and at the end of the project.
Working With Subject Matter Experts
Anytime you have a relationship with another person, professional or otherwise, experts will tell you the key is Communication. Working with an SME is no different. You should enhance your connection with your SME by building rapport and showing them how the project will add value to you both. It is also important for you to familiarize yourself with the SME's background and how their unique perspective can make the information "meaningful and relevant to the learner", as discussed in the pdf below. Remember, they are not simply providing you with information; they are providing you with information for a clearly defined purpose and desired outcome. Due to this, it is very important that you clarify expectations and roles up front. You should provide the Subject Matter Expert with any templates or detailed instructions you have for how they are to submit their content to you as well as what to expect next. Clarifying expectations also helps mitigate issues that could arise later down the road due to a lack of communication.
Do. Your. Homework! By this point in the process, you should be very familiar with the content and the SME's background so you can properly engage them in a way to get what you need. You should prepare to ask them open-ended, high-gain questions. Open-ended questions allow more room for them to explain the answer and their thinking behind the answer. High-gain questions can provide additional insight and details so the information that is received can further the conversation and deepen what's gained from the information. Your interview questions should also provide opportunities for critical thinking and new ideas. They should be created with the end-user in mind. What do your learner's need to know from the SME? This guiding question will provide context for your conversation. Also remember, you will be asking the SME to send you content in addition to the interview. The interview can come before or after the content, and in some cases, the interview alone can suffice.
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8 Steps to Interview Subject Matter Experts-Without Annoying Them
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Subject Matter Expert Interview Questions
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Leveraging High-Gain Questions that Produce Vale in Conversations
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Nuts and Bolts: Working With Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
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10 Tips for Conducting an Effective Subject Matter Expert Interview
Active listening is an art. Those who can do it, excel. Being able to listen to the information the SME is providing is a very important addition to their written information. For cases where the SME is only responding to the interview questions, how well you listen is essential to the process. How you respond and the feedback you provide will be based on what information the SME presents in the conversation. You should ensure your responses are clear and concise. In an ideal situation, you will have a follow-up conversation with your SME after their content has been received and reviewed. In this case, you are providing feedback based on what they submitted and advising them on some of the following areas: missing content, gaps in the information, questions from your writers (if you are not the person working/writing from their content), missing context, missing information, feedback from the writer, or any additional information you may need. Remember to always be respectful of their time and considerate within the conversation.
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