As a workplace learning professional (WLP)—you are a trainer, e-learning developer, coach, or training manager—you will likely create instructional content and temporarily adopt the role of an instructional designer at some point. Many WLPs, including those tasked with instructional design, will experience their initial occupational rite of passage in their first interaction with a subject matter expert (SME).
Traditionally, this interaction is a recurring process involving the critique and correction of the SME’s training materials by the instructional designer (or another WLP), which the SME in turn reviews for technical accuracy, and the designer then finalizes. Often because of conflicting values and standards, deadlines, departmental animosities, and other factors, what should be a cooperative professional partnership often falls short.
Although the training product may be effective and delivered on time, there is often a cost to personal morale that is never measured and seldom corrected. As a result, many designer/SME partnerships fall short of their potential. What should be a fruitful collaboration instead defaults into a competitive cycle in which the survival of the fittest prevails. Those who are not as adept at handling the constant pressures of deadlines, criticisms (often unwarranted), pushbacks, misunderstandings, and other unpleasantries do not produce at their potential—and may eventually drop out of the field entirely. Because many designers are already struggling to stay on top of their work, they cannot afford to lose colleagues to another field—or to miss out on ways to harness the potential of designer-SME collaboration.
Right now, a retiring workforce, an explosion of data, and other factors are converging to form an abundance of information and growing challenges for designers. Because designers are required to simplify, organize, and deliver the most relevant information to the appropriate stakeholders, it is important to consider collaboration as an alternative to competition.
Perhaps it is time to explore the roots of traditional instructional design as an occupation and propose some common-sense ideas to make the process not only more efficient but also more human. Collaborative design is one key to this transition.
It takes a rare blend of intellectual capacity, thick skin, tolerance, and sensitivity for designers to do their job. They must mirror the preferences of SMEs while preserving the integrity of solid design theory. They also must steer SMEs toward the solutions that will create the most effective learning products possible, within the resource limitations of the project. If designers can do all of this without managing to insult the SMEs—or their years of specialized experience—they are world-class professionals indeed.
If you are one of many WLPs looking for a way to partner with your SMEs instead of competing against them, this Infoline will provide you with an awareness and strategy for the potential pitfalls and benefits involved. It will give you a roadmap toward collaboration that you can use.
To learn how to collaborate most effectively with your SME, you must first understand the dynamics of the designer-SME relationship. Then you will learn how to implement the three Cs (consult, collaborate, and continue) to strengthen your SME relationship.
THE DESIGNER-SME RELATIONSHIP
The roots of the workplace learning industry go back to a more easily defined, but less friendly time in workplace history. At a glance, it is easy to see why collaboration does not come easily to most workplaces.
Today’s workplace environment is much different from the workplace of the 1940s, which was heavily influenced by World War II and an era that created models such as behaviorism and traditional instructional design. That era featured an assembly-line approach to production. In exchange for job security, rigid hierarchies were in place between workers, management, and other divisions.
Today’s workplace has evolved beyond this environment, but at the same time, traditional design remains entrenched. When using the textbook approach to design, conflict is almost inevitable, as critics of traditional instructional design will point out.
There are a number of underlying reasons for the tension between instructional designers and SMEs, including
• little or no reward for collaborating
• an “it’s not my job” mentality
• the need to do things their own way
• time constraints.
So how do we begin to improve the relationships with SMEs? One key is to keep the “big picture” of shared goals in mind. Both instructional designers and SMEs desire many of the same goals, but differ on how best to accomplish them. The designers’ job is to move beyond competition and toward collaboration by empowering SMEs with the reasons why design can work for them.
DEFINE YOUR ROLE
It is important to communicate your role clearly and articulately to the SME. This keeps things within expectations and is part of explaining the process.
First off, WLPs—and more specifically instructional designers—represent several types of backgrounds, summarized in the following three groups:
1. The first group has little or no formal training. Members of this group may be trainers who are SMEs themselves and have never had the opportunity to receive any sort of design training. This group may have been given a book on instructional design, attended a professional event, or received a two-week “certification.” Often, these exposures are not sufficient to produce the depth of knowledge and experience that practitioners need to have.
2. The second group has a significant amount of informal training, from ongoing participation and input in a professional group to more rigorous class work in instructional design to a certificate from an accredited program. Members of this group have more of what they may need for the job than the first group. However, because they do not have an advanced degree in the field, they may hold back from working with SMEs and other stakeholders to promote the decisions that might produce the most effective results.
3. The third group has an academic degree in instructional design. Of the three, this group may be the most volatile in terms of results. On one hand, they likely have the awareness of evidence-based research and the ability to advocate for a design that will deliver those results in their current environment. On the other hand, some designers may stay rooted in the book theory they learned, without stepping out in the real world of their environment. For example, sometimes newer designers remain committed to a certain design model espoused in their program without realizing how flexible those models can be in the working environment. This can cause conflicts for designers, which can distract from the deadlines of their current job.
KNOW YOUR SME
After you have a clear idea of your role, it is important to consider the role of your SMEs: who they are, how they work, and how best to approach them. The greater your knowledge of your SME, the more successful your collaboration will be.
Do Your Homework
In order to best understand your SMEs, it might be helpful to do a little research on them. This will help build the basis for a positive working relationship. Your research might include the following:
• the business of your SMEs’ department and the point person within it
• who your SMEs have worked with previously and the reputation they have with them
• their past history, including degrees held, schools attended, and where they are from
• office clues from which you can draw insight, including books, pictures, and mementos
• extra information found from doing a search of publications and websites.
Build the Relationship
Using the information you have gathered in your research, consider the following tips in fostering a relationship with your SMEs:
• Make friends with them before you actually need them.
• Always be respectful—of their expertise and dedication to their goals.
• Display an interest in their area of expertise.
• Respect their time, making it as easy as possible for them to work with you.
SMEs come in all shapes and sizes as a result of different backgrounds, education levels, and areas of expertise. For an idea of the variety of SMEs you might find yourself working with, see the sidebar Five Types of SMEs.
FIVE TYPES OF SMEs
The following characterizes five types of SMEs you might encounter and how best to approach your working relationship:
1. The “Boss” SME
The Boss is the standard bearer, “buck stops here” person to reckon with. While the Boss may fill the average designer with a certain degree of trepidation, the Boss can also give powerful, influential recommendations that may have a big effect on future work to be done, and the boss’s confidence in one’s work can in itself be a reward for a challenge. One thing is certain: The Boss will put your consulting skills to the test. Staying focused and being willing to do whatever the job entails is the best way to proceed. The successful completion of a “boss” project is the only win/win option—and it will pay off.
2. The “Out to Lunch” SME
Contrary to the Boss, the Out to Lunch SME is often very cordial and easygoing—perhaps too easygoing. Experienced designers might prefer the Boss to this SME because he or she is certain to put your organizational, communication, and diplomacy skills to the test. Be prepared to hold this SME’s hand—even micromanage when needed—and keep an eye on the clock so your timelines do not slip.
3. The “Buddy” SME
If this SME is conscientious or passionate about their subject matter, the working relationship between you may turn out great. Otherwise, it might go the way of the Out to Lunch SME. Worst of all, the Buddy may be prone to last-minute bouts of indecisiveness or redesigns of the instruction, leading to potential runarounds with content or development issues. Get this SME’s upfront agreement on the process, signoffs, and other issues in writing to minimize last minute scope issues.
4. The “Micromanager” SME
No detail is too small for this SME. He or she seems to delight in the fine print, at the expense of the big picture. Keeping the overall context of the project in mind is necessary for success with this SME.
5. The “Benevolent” SME
The Benevolent SME is always flexible and big on praise early on. A novice designer may be snared into complacency with this SME, knowing that he or she seems to be easily pleased. However, if the Benevolent SME’s supervisor becomes involved due to a shortened deadline, scope change, or other issue, the situation may become less benevolent. As with the Buddy, communicating toward agreement upfront will help keep a good situation from suddenly souring.
FROM COMPETITION TO COLLABORATION
Without focusing on the big picture, it is very easy to default into a competitive mindset, where the designer and the SME view each other as adversaries, instead of joining forces against a common deadline. Designers and SMEs forget that they are on the same team. To get past potential conflict, train your mind to think differently about the situation and your SME.
One way to avoid the competitive mindset is to focus on what you and your SME have in common. After all, SMEs and designers ultimately desire the same things: They want to efficiently create relevant, effective products in a reasonable amount of time, and they want the fruit of their collaboration to be a quality representation of their professionalism.
Also, try to understand the SME’s motivation. It is the most important factor in finding the right SME with whom to collaborate. Because all SMEs are different, they can be motivated by a variety of things, such as recognition and appreciation, freedom, and the opportunity to work on interesting projects.
Ultimately, both SMEs and designers want straightforward, high-quality, effective training materials. Both professionals want to take pride in their product and ensure that it is as engaging for the learner as possible. With this big picture of shared goals in mind, both parties can maintain faith in each other even at difficult points in the process.
A couple of challenges may present themselves, however.
• Differing education levels may impose a potential roadblock to collaboration. Some SMEs have extensive on-the-job experience, but little academic training (such as in the case of a mechanic), while the designers have advanced degrees. Conversely, other SMEs (such as scientists or healthcare professionals) may have much more formal education than their designers do. In either case, a wise designer will identify the potential for a competitive mindset and defuse it by focusing with the SME on their mutual deadlines and project-specific challenges.
• Misunderstandings between upper management and designers may occur. Management often views training products as widgets to be churned out assembly-line style, while designers hold out for theories that they may or may not be able to justify. A SME is caught in the middle of this conflict and often sides with management for a quick, technically accurate product. Unless empowered by the designer, the SME may not appreciate how a factually sound e-learning module could remain ineffective as a learning tool because of a flawed design. It is the designer’s job to empower all stakeholders (including SMEs and management) by informing them of the collaborative process and how it will produce the desired results.
Designers must add to their skill set the ability to clearly articulate why accurate and effective learning products are needed. They must tactfully highlight the roadblocks to effective learning and seek higher ground to find win/win/win goals for their SMEs, management, and themselves.
THE BENEFITS OF A POSITIVE SME RELATIONSHIP
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a worthwhile adage—however, the friction between the designer and the SME found in many workplace processes justifies a critical look. On a positive note, many workplaces are ripe for the following benefits that result when underlying issues are addressed:
• reduced stress
• ongoing productivity
• pride in work
• leadership
• proactive communication
• job satisfaction.
For seasoned trainers, interacting with SMEs is an ongoing challenge in all cases. Fortunately, it is a skill that can improve with experience, confidence, and practice.
Keeping the big picture in mind, the art of effectively collaborating with SMEs is no different than any other type of specialized consulting. Interacting with SMEs requires a combination of soft skills, sound reasoning, and specialized knowledge—along with the ability to apply the right techniques at the right time. It requires the ability to quickly discern the preferences and style of SMEs. By adapting as much of your delivery as possible to their preferences, you can achieve mutually desired results.
For examples of successful teams, see the sidebar Famous Collaborations.
THE THREE Cs
For many designers, collaboration is a more productive alternative to competition. The “Three C” process is simple to understand: consult, collaborate, and continue.
CONSULT
As professionals, you start out as consultants, not as collaborators. Collaboration requires a high level of trust on the part of the SME in the designer’s ability and character. Very few working relationships begin on the collaboration level, unless there is an existing positive reputation on either side. Otherwise, it is important to realize that collaboration—and its privileges—must be earned.
Consulting involves using your skills to secure for the other party they results they desire. Solid consulting skills are the way to get to collaboration. The key to unlocking the door to collaboration is trust. Your job as a consultant is to initially win and keep the SME’s trust. The two keys to building trust are demonstrating substance and adapting to the client’s style, which are discussed later.
FAMOUS COLLABORATIONS
To get a sense of the enjoyment, synergy, and potential of a great collaboration, here are some partnerships you might be familiar with. Note that in many cases each partnership is a study in contrasts, where one partner’s strengths cover the other’s weaknesses.
• Musical theatre: Rodgers and Hammerstein
• Comedy: Laurel and Hardy
• Illusion: Penn and Teller
• Film critique: Siskel and Ebert
• Satire: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (from Saturday Night Live)
• Advice: Click and Clack (from NPR’s Car Talk)
Obviously, the workplace learning and performance field has yet to produce a collaboration well known enough to rank on such a list. However, to be honest, most professionals long for the kind of camaraderie, balanced strengths, mutual trust, and quality output that are the hallmarks of a great collaboration. The good news is that by working with SMEs toward a common goal, you can realize that collaboration in your own field is not only possible, but necessary.
There are so many challenges in your field—with such a thin margin for error—that it is necessary to get on the same page with your SMEs. You should even consider empowering them with the basics of design so that they will anticipate the process in the same way that designers do. By exploring collaboration, you ultimately increase the likelihood of having more enjoyment on the job.
Designers must approach every SME with a service-based, consulting attitude. Expecting collaboration off the bat is a setup for failure. The trust needed for collaboration is earned only through your professionalism, track record, competence, and humility. The good news is that your reputation may precede you with the next client, who enthusiastically looks forward to your services. That trust in your consulting abilities also opens up a possibility for collaboration. But in any case, the discipline required for consulting must come first.
Consulting for Designers
Unresolved conflicts with other stakeholders, the highly technical nature of the work of a SME, and the process of sound instructional design mask a simple reality: The designer-SME relationship is in essence no different than any other consulting relationship.
A consultant is a professional who adapts to the preferences, styles, and habits of the SME, while holding to the essentials of his or her craft. Good designers can interact with a wide range of personalities and working cultures. They adapt to multiple situations and put SMEs at ease, while being able to raise the standard of the design decisions that are made. Having a basic awareness of organizational development principles will help them accomplish this end result.
Designers first learn the basics through applied theory, and then through their experience through with project life cycles. They are then able to accommodate the SMEs’ styles and preferences in many ways. Preferred pace, communication, technology level, decision making, and a host of other variables will be different for every situation. If designers adapt quickly, they can build the needed buy-in and relational equity required for crucial design decisions. This will produce the results the SMEs want, even when the process and rationale, in their minds, seems counterproductive.
Because consultants—designers and otherwise—have a reputation for high performance in a variety of roles, it may be surprising to view their function in a simplified way: that is, consultants earn their living by doing two things:
1. demonstrating substance
2. adapting to the client’s style.
These are the two keys to building trust with your client—and trust is the key to moving beyond consulting into collaboration.
Demonstrate Substance
Many of you have already done much to build your expertise—your “substance” in the field. Related job experience, credentialing, educational degrees, organizational awareness, lifelong learning, and awareness of current and future industry trends will assist you in demonstrating substance.
One simple way to enhance your substance is to become more involved in a professional organization. However, simply joining one will be of little benefit unless you actually get involved. While some people volunteer their time and learn new skills, others take advantage of the opportunity to present, organize, and lead. Doing this allows other people in the network to see you at work, hear what you bring to the table, and also see a listing of your activities and presentations on your résumé.
A little bit of “giving” can go a long way in establishing yourself as a professional with substance. That is only one part of the equation, however; to consult you also need to adapt to your client’s style.
Adapt Your Style
Your success is more likely if you develop a solid working relationship with your client (in this case, your SME)—including confidence, buy-in, and persuasion. After acquiring your professional skill set, you need to adapt to your SME on a personal level, whenever possible. This involves mirroring your SME’s preferences in the same manner as a sales professional. Simply adapting your speech rate, patterns, and level of sophistication will make a difference in building rapport. Adapting to your SMEs in this way can serve their purposes better and make for an improved resolution to the project.
The substance you offer is one element of the process. Style is entirely another. Consider these strategies for adapting to your SME’s style in the following areas:
Communication Styles.
There are as many ways to communicate as there are unique personalities. Communication styles change depending on desired frequency, tools, level of technology, figurative or literal interpretations, and so forth. Any challenges that you may have with your SME could indicate a communication preference that has gone undetected. By taking some time to discover the unique characteristics of your SME, you will often find solutions.
Negotiation Styles.
Some negotiation styles are healthier than others. The challenge is being aware of the proper paradigms for “winning” and “losing” and ensuring that you phrase everything as a “win/win.” Look for your SMEs’ advantage in every situation. As SMEs trust that you are keeping their priorities in mind, you can propose elements that seem contrary to their preferences. Reminding them of the larger “win” can lead you to the best solution.
Many people have been able to transition from a “win/lose,” competitive mentality into a collaborative situation. Finding the way to bridge this gap will ensure a much higher degree of success for you.
For example, your SME may want to use a certain type of media, such as video. As a designer, you are concerned because your current timeline may not allow for proper scripting of the modules. Your SME may want to “wing it.” Without proactive communication on your part, this could easily become a competitive situation that does not serve the larger purpose. Without a written script or extensive communication experience, your SME is likely to take a lot more recording and post-production time, which is likely to translate into a lackluster, expensive product.
By proactively communicating with your SME, you could posture his or her desire to have a video-based format in the context of what it will require in terms of time and effort. You can agree that the desired medium can be a great choice, as long as certain conditions are met (having a solid, instructionally sound script). Without a solid script—which will require more upfront effort on the SME’s part—the product will be costly, time consuming, and mediocre.
If your clients trust your expertise, it is very likely that they also will prioritize time for developing a proper script in advance. The other stakeholders will get video modules that are effective, and your SME will work with you to ensure the objectives, illustrations, and content within the script support the goals of the project. Both of you join together against the challenges of the project, instead of against one another’s opinions.
Conflict Styles.
Conflict styles are similar to negotiation styles. By recognizing and defusing the barrier of volatile emotions, you can accommodate “shared meaning” and mutual understanding.
The obvious place to start may be the “loud conflict” types. Anger, resentment, accusation, and other expressions are often quick to surface and sometimes tough to defuse. On the other hand, conflict that is suppressed or not understood as such can be even harder to uproot and take care of.
Adapting to conflict styles in a manner that is productive for both your SME and yourself is a challenging and necessary task.
See the sidebar Your SME’s Style for ways to adapt to your SME’s traits.
YOUR SME’S STYLE
Here are a few ways to adapt to your SME’s style:
• Fast-paced vs. laid back: Are your SMEs wired at a different speed than you? Rather than resisting the difference, adapt your pace just a little bit toward theirs.
• Deadline orientation: If your SMEs are fixated on handoffs and deadlines, become even more attuned to the timing of the project and put them at ease. If they are not deadline oriented, take the lead and use a soft, more laid-back approach while preserving the clarity of the project timeline.
• Detailed vs. “big picture”: Some SMEs are sticklers for details, while others deal only in generalities. This preference should be quickly apparent to you. Note it and make the switch.
• Communication preferences: Some SMEs prefer to “ping” over an Internet messenger service, while others use the phone, email, or face-to-face conversations. Matching your SME’s preference here pays dividends, although you should watch out for situations where the SME’s choice may not be best.
• Communication frequency: How often should you initiate conversations with your SME? Many designers have simply not received enough clarity or information about the desired result and can be easily discouraged by the lack of time or willingness to communicate. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself what information you need from the SME and why you need it now. Having a valid reason for your “intrusion” justifies your getting what you need to do your job on time.
• Communication style: Making a reasonable effort to match your SME’s natural expression, gesture, countenance, pace, and sophistication level in communication will help build bridges toward trust. The alternative could be that the disparity in your communication might lead to misunderstanding and invisible mental walls for both of you.
Please note that if taken to an extreme, these tips will be counterproductive. What is advocated here is a common-sense effort on the consultant’s part to make it easier for the SME to understand and feel comfortable. Simply being aware of the above areas is a step toward a collaborative style. Your output will speak for itself.
From Consulting to Collaborating
Consulting is adapting to the other person’s style and preferences for the sake of building relational equity with them. That equity should be invested strategically when influencing the SME during difficult decisions. Your recommendations are vital, and you should leverage your equity wisely for decisions that produce the desired outcomes.
Collaborating implies something much more than “co-laboring”; rather, the nature of this working relationship allows each partner to jointly bring their strengths to the table and let their guard down. Before this sort of openness can occur, the competence, teamwork, and reliability skills of the designer must be proven to the SME. This is why the deference modeled in the consulting stage is irreplaceable and must come first.
Consulting, in this case is a service role undertaken by the designer, while collaborating implies a shared purpose and outcome in which the details of the negotiation are worked out by mutual agreement and satisfaction.
Consulting is a great skill to have, because much of life involves having to voluntarily subject yourself to serve other people in order to gain the leverage you need for other people to adapt to you. For many, this never comes close to happening. When working with SMEs, transitioning your working relationship from consulting to collaboration will result in greater enjoyment and productivity.
For most people, pairs, and teams, the joy of collaboration is much greater than the one-sided service of consulting. Depending on the type of SME personality, this end result may not be universal. However, there is a quality of shared commitment and buy-in with collaboration that is not enjoyed even by a skilled consultant.
In making the shift from consulting to collaboration, consider a few best practices to make working with your SME an easier—and more efficient—process. In a 2009 research study, Robyn Defelice and Karl Kapp focused on the time factor in training development. See the sidebar Make the Most of Your SME for their suggestions on how to best manage time with your SME.
COLLABORATE
What sets collaboration apart from a normal working relationship is the sense of voluntary partnership, as well as synergy. The product of the partnership is greater than the sum of its parts. Because of mutual trust in each other’s ability and reliability, each partner approaches the relationship focused on the goal and open to possibilities that they might not normally consider.
Many people doubt that the benefits of collaboration are actually possible. Collaboration represents a massive paradigm shift for the industry. Instead of being grouped together in a distant (at best) environment and tasked with output and deadlines, collaboration is a reality in which you can enjoy the process, the people, and perhaps even the content. Collaboration is possible, when you anticipate the best things rather than expect the worst or the normal.
“PREFeR” Your SME
Having brought both substance and style to the table, you need to continue consulting the SME in order to foster collaboration. To help lower any walls impeding collaboration, continue consulting with substance. Matching the SME’s style is the first step in that direction. The next step is to PREFeR your SME by creating a win/win context for what could become a free-flowing collaboration. The parts that make up this step ( process, reasons why, empowerment, friendliness, and recommendations) build on one another and will help you to center on your SME as you move beyond consulting into collaboration
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SME
Robyn Defelice and Karl Kapp conducted research in 2009 to determine the average cost of developing one hour of training. They noted that the time it takes to develop training is high, not because of the actual development process, but because of external factors such as client delays.
To better manage your SMEs and make the most of your time with them, Defelice and Kapp recommend educating SMEs “in a way that helps them see the big picture of the formal instructional design process” and offer the following best practices:
Onboarding
• Develop a policy ensuring that the SME is properly briefed on the process before starting a project.
• Create a presentation explaining the roles, responsibilities, and design process, with sign-offs included.
Communication
• Ensure that your SME shares ownership for the project’s success.
• Update your SME on project status, next step reminders, action items, deliverables, and future milestones.
• Take the initiative to discern and communicate potential risks to the SME.
Change Management
• Realize that personnel turnover happens during projects.
• Ensure there is an onboarding process to handle any new stakeholders.
• Create a plan outlining roles and responsibilities for change management issues, as well as a resource inventory of potential backup help should that be needed.
Adapted from the ASTD Links Plus article, “Reducing the Time to Develop One Hour of Instruction,” by Robyn A. Defelice and Karl M. Kapp.
This step is a start to what could be a collaborative design, in which you empower your SME with the “why” and “how” of design basics. The result enables the SME to take more ownership of the process—including many of the trivial details—permitting you to move beyond consulting to collaboration on a higher level, as you continue on future projects.
Note: You should carefully discern your SME’s level of interest toward being empowered in this way, on a case-by-case basis. Uninterested or overworked SMEs may not be interested in your desire to collaborate, so look instead for SMEs who share your enthusiasm for instructional design.
Process
The first step to PREFeR your SME is to explain the process. Create the proper context for your activities, by simplifying the ADDIE model (analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate) and any ground rules for your partnership. Whatever design model you select, you must inform SMEs of the basics so that they know what to expect.
Avoid a lengthy, technical discourse. Instead, simply use the “WIIFM” (What’s In It For Me?) method, explaining to your SMEs how this process will provide them with the most effective training possible.
Reasons Why
After explaining the process, it is important to reinforce the process, as well as prepare for future SME questions, using reasons why. Always providing reasons why (concrete explanations from instructional theory, collective practice, and your own experience) will reduce uncertainty and increase your SMEs’ trust level as you lead them into new, possibly awkward territory (keeping WIIFM in mind). In addition, there may be times when the reasons why may simply not be clear to SMEs, and gaining their advance agreement to trust your judgment in those times can be very helpful. Anticipating their questions beforehand will ultimately give them reasons why your recommendations are worth heeding.
Empowerment
Consider empowering your SME by explaining in appropriate detail the reasons why you are making your recommendations. Some SMEs who want to know more about the process of design may be surprised to learn how relatively simple it can be. If you are secure enough in your relationship and are convinced they will benefit over time, consider teaching them the basics of the instructional design process as you work together, especially if multiple projects are involved.
The result of this partnership effectively changes the dynamic of the relationship closer to a mentoring or teaching role, which can empower SMEs with significant skills that can greatly increase their output and efficiency. This method of empowering SMEs with the basics of design is also known as the “open source” attitude, according to Open Source Instructional Design: Successfully Mentoring Subject Experts, by Nathan Eckel.
Friendliness
It is important to keep communication flowing in a friendly manner. In particular, you should adopt an attitude of friendliness at the start of a new working relationship. Although some SMEs come with additional “baggage” (such as rumors of being difficult to work with), you can set a proactive tone by being optimistic, even when someone’s reputation, experience, or working habits may not be the best. Being acutely aware of this information beforehand allows you to prepare for any difficulties—and still start off on a friendly note.
Recommendations
Finally, provide recommendations to others about your SMEs, highlighting their hard work. Recommendations go both ways. Although designers want a good word from the SMEs, consider sending kudos to your SMEs via LinkedIn or an in-house award system. This can set you apart within the organization as a conscientious, appreciative professional. Also, during your project, an encouraging word, empowering remark to a colleague, or quick note of appreciation will help you get closer to your mutual goal.
For other helpful hints for successful collaboration, see the sidebar Additional Skills for “PREFeR-ing” Your SME.
ADDITIONAL SKILLS FOR “PREFeR-ing” YOUR SME
Here are some additional skills to consider in building the relationship with your SME.
EMPATHY AND PERSPECTIVE SKILLS
Because you are working with SMEs, it is best to put yourself in their shoes and try to understand where they are coming from. Knowing what triggers various negative emotions of your SMEs will help you move toward more desirable ones. In the case of interfacing with management or executives, it is vital to couch your shared goals in ways that are important for them—productivity, revenue, efficiency, safety, morale, and so forth—using hard metrics wherever possible. Having the ability to interface with stakeholders even further up the corporate chain will assist you for the duration of your time with them.
SWOT Analysis
If you are unsure about how to apply the empathy and perspective skills, a simple place to start is through a SWOT analysis. As you might be aware, SWOT is an acronym that outlines the four key areas to focus on in your SME’s situation: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Think about each one in terms of what your SME is facing, as well as from the perspective of your collaboration. Make the adjustments that will strengthen your relationship.
PERSUASION SKILLS
Otherwise referred to as “sales skills,” persuasion skills are an enormous part of consulting. Without the ability to influence and persuade SMEs to adopt the solutions that you deem in your expert opinion to be best, your effectiveness will be limited. Many times there will be opportunities to hold fast on the issues that are most vital to your SMEs’ success, which they may oppose. How will you help them see the proper perspective when the situation warrants it?
Adapting and changing your style to match that of your SMEs will help you convince them of the efficacy of the solution and methods that you are proposing. Use your persuasion equity wisely since there is a limited supply of it. Here are a couple of tools that may help steer your SME toward your way of thinking when absolutely necessary:
It’s Their Idea
People are fond of their ideas. Even when an idea is not really theirs, it can be embraced when they are made to believe that it was theirs originally. This technique works with groups of people or one-on-one. By referring back to the primary goal that they have and couching all recommendations in terms of that goal, you truly are referring to their idea.
Feel, Felt, Found
When the SME expresses any hesitancy or doubt about a given outcome, simply refer to similar situations in which you have used the technique of “feel, felt, found.” The conversation goes something like this: “I know that you feel a bit anxious about the risks of this strategy—that is very understandable since my last client felt the same way about it too. What we both found as we walked through the process was that it was the best solution to give us the outcomes we wanted.”
As Simple as “S.A.P.”
After pursuing the path from consulting to collaboration—demonstrating substance and adapting your style; then using the PREFeR methodology—the rest of the process of working with SMEs is as simple as “S.A.P.” (SME and situation, approach, and process). A collaborative working relationship, in which the SME begins to take on more of the responsibility for basic design, requires the following ingredients of the S.A.P. model:
The Right SME and Situation
In contrast to the right SMEs, the wrong SMEs are not interested in improving their quality or efficiency and are not particularly teachable. Your best bet is to keep those SMEs in the “consulting” category. To collaborate, you need to find an expert who is open to the new approaches and with whom you would like to work.
Remember, finding a motivated SME is the key. By expanding your pool of potential SME collaborators, you will expand your possibilities of finding the right SME; conversely, being limited to just a few SMEs will probably keep you in a consulting mode by default.
To ensure any possible collaboration will be advantageous for you, find an expert with whom you can work in multiple project cycles. This will leverage the time and effort for both of you and increase the chances that you will continue in the future. Your hard work will pay off on the future projects, because the SME will anticipate the process and be able to hit the ground running.
Likewise, the wrong situation makes collaboration difficult. Many environments are filled with mistrust—and even suspicion—which is not a good place to begin a collaborative partnership with a SME. A more practical situation occurs in an environment containing opportunities to actually collaborate and spend more front-end time imparting the basic design skills to your SME.
For example, you work with Jane, a SME who is generally punctual, proactive, and flexible. You also have observed her inquisitive nature on occasion. These characteristics make Jane a possible collaborator in the future, in the event she is able to invest some time to learn more about design. Before piquing her interest, consider your “situation” to ensure the job environment or other factors will work toward the possibility of collaboration, or remain neutral to it.
In addition, some designers have work situations that simply are not yet organizationally conducive to collaboration. If your work situation is not a fit—and you want to seek out a more collaborative environment—try your local nonprofit, professional network, house of worship, or neighborhood charity. These places have SMEs who need to be empowered with the design skills that you possess and can be a great place to cultivate your collaboration skills for a worthy cause.
The Right Approach
A less than ideal but popular approach is to forget that your role is ultimately to serve the clients/SMEs. Therefore, instead of adapting to their preferences, you hold your ground—or worse, expect them to accommodate to yours.
The right approach is to PREFeR the SMEs. Use your consulting skills and adapt to your SMEs’ preferences (such as communication style, type, tempo), so that you can pick your battles. Learning design skills is challenging for all of us, and your SMEs will invest in learning the concepts if you adapt to them and make the process more pleasant.
The Right Process
Academics have written dozens of instructional design textbooks spanning the past few decades, but unless you are working with a particularly bookish SME, citing these academic reference points will not likely work as well as an informal approach. Still, you must have a game plan to convey the basics of solid design to your SME. Whether you use “off the shelf” materials to teach design or summarize your own materials, find the way that works best—a summary, a working example, a blog or wiki, or even a textbook.
Consider this example: In your past three collaborations, you provided your SME—Jane—with a link to a popular design blog. However, you observe that Jane appreciates research-based, factual sources when learning new skills. You talk with her about this preference and ask whether she would prefer to use the usual blog or a more rigorous yet research-based text as her source. Or to save her time, you might also summarize key points into a worksheet (to reuse with future collaborators) and make the source textbook available as well.
CONTINUE
It takes a lot of work to reach the collaboration stage—and it would be unfortunate to enjoy it only briefly. It is desirable to continue to collaborate as much as possible—for many reasons including morale, productivity, enjoyment, and return-on-investment.
Typically, a first project takes a significant amount of empowerment time for the SME to grasp additional details of the ADDIE process. Again, taking a conservative, encouraging approach on a case-by-case basis will help you and the SME stay motivated. On the next project, your SME will come back to the table with actual design experience instead of just a vague intellectual idea of what the process should look like. Even if the type of design is completely different (for example, a circular design in which the user may pick their next topic, as opposed to a sequential process), it is likely that you will sense your SME making the connections more quickly. With every mental light bulb that flashes in your SME’s mind, you move beyond empowering a colleague to actually building champions for the design process.
Steps to Continuing Collaboration
The idea of ongoing collaboration is exciting for many designers and SMEs. If you are open to the possibility of continuing collaboration, keep these suggestions in mind:
• Ensure that your SMEs have a genuine interest in design, as well as available resources to invest in learning design for their own benefit.
• Keep monitoring their interest level throughout, and if it wanes, encourage them. It would be better to pause the process indefinitely than to continue beyond the point of burnout or lost interest. Every “baby step” represents progress.
• Remain low-key—even for the most eager SMEs—so that you know that the SME remains interested. By staying in the shallow end of the pool and taking your cue from the SME, you can eventually tread into deeper waters. Jumping into the deep end of the pool will almost certainly be counterproductive, no matter how eager your SME initially is.
• Be selective. Avoid offering your expertise unless the SME is both sincere and qualified. Cultivate multiple collaborations so that you keep growing even if availability or interest levels change. Use common sense with your intuition.
Another Paradigm
Getting to the “continue” phase is really a new beginning for your ongoing collaboration. After some potential trial and error, the time and care you have invested in the S.A.P. model will ultimately reward you. As you work on your next project with your SME, expect the learning curve to start paying off in the form of shorter design time, higher levels of design, higher quality of content, and increased motivation.
As the challenges of instructional design increase, take the opportunity to empower others and yourself by moving away from conflict and competition toward collaboration with SMEs.