For many of us, education content depends on subject matter experts (SMEs) to contribute—and those people usually don’t live in Education.
How do you garner participation and engagement from people with full plates? We wondered the same thing, and asked the education community to share their tips and best practices.
7 Ideas on Subject Matter Expert Collaboration from the Education Community
Looking for ways to speed up SME collaboration? Here are some ideas from the education community:
1. Try it yourself first.
One way to reduce time spent with SMEs is to try something yourself first, then focus your time with SMEs on open questions, shared Debbie Smith, Sr. Director of Visier University and President of the Customer Education Management Association.
Not only does this reduce the amount of time needed from your SME, but it can also help you keep a beginner’s mind. SMEs are often so in the weeds of their work that they forget what it’s like to encounter a feature, a process, or a workflow for the first time—and that’s where Education excels.
2. Do your own research.
Not everything has to come from the SME directly. In addition to trying the product or feature first yourself, do some research about the topic you’re creating around.
When Roberto Aiello, Sr. Learning Experience Designer at Personio, was creating a course around AI, he did research and discovery before meeting with the SME. This research allowed him to formulate informed questions and maximize his time with the SME. After the SME interview, he dug into further research that provided context for his AI content.
3. Host a kick-off call to align on scope and use case.
Another strategy Debbie’s team employs is to host a kickoff call with the SME to align on scope and use case.
If you’ve ever had a SME share way more than you needed them to, this can save time for both of you, ensuring you’re getting the information you need—and not too much more.
4. Align on the review process and expectations.
Sometimes getting input from the SME isn’t the hardest part; it’s getting through reviews and approval. 😩
To speed up this part of the process, define and document your content development process. Consult with the SME on where and when it makes the most sense for them to review content.
Another tip from David Patlut, Senior Technical Curriculum Developer at Redis: Give them hard deadlines for review. “If we don’t hear from you by [date], we won’t be able to implement your feedback.”
5. Schedule a meeting to review.
“Most of my SMEs are busy, so I schedule a time to review content with them live,” shared Silvie Liao, Sr. Manager of Learning and Development at Walmart Connect.
What’s on the calendar tends to happen! If this meeting-based review works best for your SMEs, consider it time well spent.
6. Give them options.
Not everything has to be an in-person meeting. While that is preferable to give space for follow up questions, you could also allow SMEs to respond to questions in writing, record a quick Loom video, or use a platform like Leaps to capture their insights. This allows them to respond in a way that works for them and their schedule. If your team can accommodate it, this kind of flexibility can help things move along faster.
7. Use AI to capture the SME’s voice.
If part of the SME review is for tone of voice, consider if AI can help you get closer to the SME’s voice. Roberto shared, “When drafting video scripts, feed the AI with previous videos of the SME speaking and ask the AI to match the tone of voice.” Amazing use case for AI!
It’s Time to Take SME Collaboration to the Next Level
Collaborating with SMEs doesn’t have to be a slow or painful process. By taking initiative, streamlining reviews, and offering flexible ways to share their input, you can make the experience smoother for everyone involved. Whether it’s trying things yourself first, aligning on expectations early, or leveraging AI to speed up workflows, these strategies from the education community can help you get the input you need—without overloading your SMEs. Which of these ideas will you try next?
