We’ve all been there…you design what you think is a brilliant training program, only to have it fall flat in the classroom. Often, the missing ingredient isn’t the content or the delivery, but something more fundamental: genuine buy-in from your subject matter experts (SMEs).
When Play-Doh Beat PowerPoint
We learned this lesson firsthand when redesigning a technical product training for sales teams. The original version? A 50-slide deck crammed with complex diagrams. Our new approach? Colorful tubs of Play-Doh.
The concept was simple: Instead of passively listening to explanations, learners would build physical models of the product layers while explaining their choices. But when we first proposed it, our SMEs were skeptical.
“You want professionals to play with modeling clay?”
The turning point came during our train-the-trainer session. As these seasoned experts molded product layers themselves, something remarkable happened:
- They immediately spotted flaws in our initial color-coding system.
- They gained new insights into how people actually learn the material. (One SME kept flipping back to the product specs, muttering “I’ve explained this a hundred times, but I’ve never had to build it…”)
- They became our most passionate advocates, suggesting improvements we’d never considered.
Why Early SME Engagement Matters
This experience taught us three crucial lessons about collaborating with training subject matter experts:
SME’s Are Your Best Quality Control
Training SMEs don’t just validate content. They stress-test your methodology. Their hands-on feedback transformed our Play-Doh activity from a fun idea into a precision learning tool.
SME Skepticism Is Valuable
Initial resistance isn’t an obstacle. It’s an opportunity. By addressing our SMEs’ concerns early, we strengthened the design before it reached learners.
SME Ownership Drives Adoption
When SMEs help shape a program, they don’t just approve it. They champion it. Their enthusiasm became contagious in the classroom.
The Importance of SME Collaboration
This experience underscored the importance of SME collaboration in developing innovative training solutions. Their insights not only strengthened the activity but also ensured its successful implementation. When SMEs are engaged as active participants in the design process, even the most unconventional methods can yield significant learning outcomes.
How to Partner With SMEs Effectively
Innovative training requires courage, but you don’t have to go it alone. SMEs are your allies in designing learning that’s engaging, accurate, and impactful.
Based on this experience (and many others), we’ve developed a practical SME Collaboration Guide to help you:
- Evaluate SME fit for your specific project needs.
- Identify knowledge gaps in your training team.
- Structure proactive discussions that respect SMEs’ time.
Download the SME Collaboration Guide
Enter your email below and we’ll send you the PDF of the SME Collaboration Guide.
