Interviewing SMEs--Make Them Feel Valued

By Sherry Shadday and Kyle Draney

Contents

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Introduction    Back to Contents

In a 1994 STC conference session, Catheryn Mason said it very well, "As a developer, few external factors have greater impact on a project than SMEs."

For the on-time delivery of accurate and robust products, subject matter experts are indispensable. Over the course of a project, a cooperative SME with a clear understanding of project goals can have a positive impact worth 10 times the amount of time they invest.

Establishing and maintaining healthy, productive, and mutually rewarding relationships with subject matter experts is imperative to the success of a project. This paper presents techniques for maintaining such relationships.

The Value of SMEs    Back to Contents

Individuals are selected as Subject Matter Experts because they are recognized by management and peers as "those who know." Their in-depth knowledge of specific subjects gives them a key role in defining business practices, needs, processes, objectives, requirements, project definition, etc. (Fijardo) Their experience gives them insight into common and not-so-common issues. This experience and insight, these gems of knowledge, can be the difference between delivering a good product and delivering a great product.

Establish Buy-In    Back to Contents

In technical communication projects, the adage of start well to end well is a phrase worth remembering. With the countless distractions and external factors that inevitably arise to delay or derail an effort, establishing buy-in early on sets the tone for the project and can save many hours down the road.

Management Buy-In

First, work to establish management buy-in. If management believes in the project, they will support project time obligations required of the SME. Remind managers that the more complete and accurate the end product, the less time personnel spend searching for information and answers and the less they rely on experts for help.

SME Buy-In

Helping SMEs understand their potential influence is the first and perhaps most important way of emphasizing their value to the development project. Be open about the importance of their role and the unique value they bring to the project. Since being a SME is generally not their first priority, taking time to help them to believe in the project will keep them involved as the project wears on. Let them know, as you did management, the more complete the deliverable, the more the SME will benefit from the results, such as time saved in less interruptions from co-workers or customers.

On a current project, we have a SME who has come to be known in our office as "the golden SME." Early in the project, before we had the opportunity to mention it, Maureen told us, "The better we can make this now the easier it is going to make my job later because everyone won't keep coming to me with questions." Because of her perspective, she understands which gems should be included in the training that would not be gleaned from technical orders or user manuals alone.

Project Kick-off Meeting

A kick-off meeting is the forum in which to sell the project. It establishes validity of the project and provides a formal group setting in which to clarify roles and expectations and answer any questions from key players. Here is where you want to model a "team" mentality by thanking everyone for their participation and reemphasizing the importance of each role. Be careful, however, not to be apologetic for their participation. You each have an equal and important role in the success of the project.

Set Them Up for Success

No one likes to be blindsided. In most cases, it can go a long way toward building a trusting relationship with your SMEs to meet with them before the kick-off meeting, letting them know what to expect. Give them an overview of project goals, the development process, and clear, documented expectations of what their role will be. (Fijardo) Not only does this give you the opportunity to get a feel if each person is right for the project, it allows them to prepare for questions and issues that might be directed toward them in the meeting.

Clarify Expectations    Back to Contents

The Project - The Overall Picture

To ensure that you and your SMEs have similar expectations, create an overall mental picture of the project:

  • What is the project scope?
  • What is the expected outcome?
  • What is their role throughout the project?
  • What is your role throughout the project?

WHAT IS THE PROJECT SCOPE? Let your SMEs know if you want a detailed account of the process or if you just need an overview. This allows them to plan ahead about what information to give you and how to break out the processes.

WHAT IS THE EXPECTED OUTCOME? Do your SMEs have preconceived notions about the project outcome, good or bad? Ask them what they expect from the product after it is completed -- what results would they like to see? Would more comprehensive work instructions contribute to job efficiency? Would well-written software documentation create more satisfied customers, in turn making the company more successful and less apt to lay off workers? Help your SMEs think of the project in terms of positive outcome and to see your collaboration as a productive adventure. Offer them a vision in which they can be involved.

Keep in mind that, at this point, you may have to rein in their wish list. Very often when you ask people what they want, they will give you options that extend well beyond the project scope. Be ready for such a situation:

  • I want to include everything I can, but I am under certain restrictions
  • That would be great, but we are limited to specific tasks in this project
  • I would love to include that, but the contract only specifies this

WHAT ARE YOUR ROLES? Both you and your SME must recognize each other's roles in this process. Set clear role expectations:

  • I am the developer
  • You are the subject matter expert
  • Neither of us have the time to become the expert in each other's job
    • You give me direction on content
    • I will organize it in a format most effective for the purpose of this project

Help them understand the importance of your role and show them that you understand the importance of theirs.

For example, Kathy was a most treasured SME who understood our roles very well. She arranged for Sherry to attend a meeting at headquarters with the system managers on which our company was developing a course. At this annual meeting, they discussed the future of the system, what changes would be included in the next release, and what items the users would like to see later, if time and money permitted. Being included in this meeting was invaluable because we not only got to hear about the upcoming system changes and meet with top players, but we also got timely feedback on a draft of the training course. Kathy allowed us into her world and gave us a nugget to polish - intimate system knowledge and access.

Perceptions and Preconceived Notions

Having proper buy-in and understanding perceptions are important because they set the stage for clarifying expectations. Barriers to SME participation often come from preconceived notions:

  • Giving up expertise and possibly losing authoritative status
  • Lacking knowledge and expertise - lack of self- confidence
  • Having no time for the project because of other priorities

What can you expect from your SMEs? What do your SMEs expect from you?

Let's imagine a brick wall between you and your SME. There are several factors that can build that wall higher or tear it down. Here we will discuss common factors and how you can remove those bricks.

Attitude

Keep in mind that there may already be bricks in the wall, such as uncertainty, nervousness, belligerence, or bad attitude, before you even get started.

If your SME feels that time spent helping you on this project is a waste, find out where this attitude is coming from. Was it a bad experience with a previous developer or project? Is the SME certain that the end-product will not be used? Find ways to resolve his or her concerns and encourage active participation. Reemphasize your commitment to delivering a quality and robust product.

Sometimes SMEs are uncooperative because they have ulterior motives. Recognizing this can help you move on to find other experts if possible or at least keep you from becoming derailed. However, sometimes it isn't the SME, but management.

In one of our projects, we have a person in our client's management who, up front, stated that this training was urgently needed, yet this manager has put an entire brick wall in front of us, stalling progress for over a year. The only SMEs given us are those directly under this manager's control, limiting our access and resources. Unfortunately, we have no recourse as this person is a major player in the project. In such a case, being sympathetic to the SME may bring rewards. But no badmouthing! That will hurt you more in the long run than not getting the cooperation you need at this point in time.

If a SME's negative attitude stems from concerns about losing authoritative status, offer reassurance that his or her unique expertise is valuable, even after the project is complete.

Worthiness

Sometimes SMEs feel they are not capable of helping you. Often they don't realize how much they know until they start explaining the various procedures. Ask questions that bring out confidence - start with easy questions about the task or process and gradually build up to more complex discussions.

Perhaps you have SMEs who feel nervous about being such an important link in the project? Keep things on a positive note and periodically let your SMEs know how much you appreciate their assistance. This will help them relax and feel less intimidated.

Time

Can your SMEs give you as much time as you would like? Clarify what you both expect in this relationship. Time can be a major brick in the wall. Emphasize that you understand how busy your SMEs are and that you will do everything you can to get the most of each session, but explain that the time they can give to the project is crucial for its success.

Toward that end, come to your interview sessions prepared and be ready to ask specific questions. Ask the SME to also be prepared, writing down notes as he or she observes details about the process that should be included or considered in the project. This allows you both to make the most of your time together and shows your SME that you do, indeed, value his or her time.

Set up clear time expectations and, if possible, a recurring meeting schedule. Let SMEs know, as best you can, approximately how much time you will require of them. Be careful not to underestimate because it can be frustrating for them to invest more time than was originally expected, especially on complex concepts.

Process

When gathering information, you may be using terminology or processes not familiar to your SMEs, so be sure that you both understand what is expected. A case in point:

Co-workers of ours wanted to use Captivate to record system navigation and activities. For accuracy in the course content, they also wanted to capture audio of the SMEs on how to progress through each activity.

The SMEs heard there would be audio and video and they panicked because they thought they were going to appear in the training and were extremely hesitant of that. It was a matter of clarifying expectations - only the screen functions would appear and the audio was simply a precautionary tool to ensure that the developers used the correct terminology and sequencing.

Explaining the true situation and showing a sample of another course where Captivate was similarly used eased their minds and put the project back on track.

Never presume that you and your SMEs are on the same wavelength when describing what you plan to do. In return, never presume that you know what your SMEs intend when explaining their processes. To ensure understanding, paraphrase and ask questions about what you heard.

Maintain the Relationship    Back to Contents

Once you have established a good working relationship with your SMEs, you want to maintain it. Focus on building long-term relationships. Listen to your SMEs, respect their authority, defer to them, and if you must do something contrary to what they desire, discuss with them the reasoning behind the action.

Your interaction with your SMEs should be in line with what they prefer - some desire a more formal, professional approach while others like to build a friendship where remembering a family member illness or current vacations is meaningful.

Bear in mind, many of the same concepts used in building a relationship are also used to maintain it. Consider the following:

  1. Treat them as a person, not as an impersonal source
  2. Understand that their time is important - don't waste it
  3. Be prepared with questions and scenarios
  4. Encourage them to talk - make them feel vested in the project, so they feel they are truly a part of it
  5. Throughout the project, share your work with the SME for suggestions and comments - let them know their input is valued
  6. Thank them at the end of each session
  7. Thank them at the end of the project
  8. Let their supervisor know that the SME was very cooperative and because of him/her, the course is a much better product
  9. Let the SME know the same

Conclusion    Back to Contents

Remember that SMEs are selected because they are the Ones who Know - they are critical to completing a productive and successful project. Regarding SMEs as team members and as equals increases their sense of value, helps tear down any existing walls, and enriches your project.

References    Back to Contents

  1. Fijardo, Jose. Maximizing the Effectiveness of a Subject Matter Expert. 2007 StickyMinds.com
  2. Mason, Catheryn L. Working with Subject Matter Experts: Strategies to gain cooperation and win respect. 1994 Society of Technical Communicators annual conference presentation.

Sherry Shadday has worked as an instructional designer for eight years in Layton, Utah with Southwest Research Institute, developing structured on-the-job, instructor-led, and computer-based training courseware for military and civilian clients. She holds a Masters Degree in English with emphasis on technical communication from Utah State University. Previously, she served 21 years in the U.S. Air Force, working on aircraft electrical systems.

Sherry Shadday, Principal Instructional Specialist
Southwest Research Institute
476 W. Heritage Park Blvd. Suite 105
Layton, UT 84041
801-773-9728

Kyle Draney holds an MS in Instructional technology and has been an instructional designer for seven years; three years at Layton, Utah, with Southwest Research Institute and Bearing Point and four years in the educational sector as a graduate assistant at Utah State University and as an intern at Brigham Young University Hawaii, The University of Barcelona, Spain and the LDS church. As a graduate assistant, he developed and job aids and workshops to help university faculty use technology in teaching. As an intern, he developed training for and taught workshops to multicultural and multilingual audiences. He currently develops courseware on Hill AFB.

Kyle Draney, Instructional Specialist
Southwest Research Institute
476 W. Heritage Park Blvd. Suite 105
Layton, UT 84041
801-773-9728



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