L&D Article Review #27

Reviewing articles can sometimes feel strange. Even more so when you're reviewing an article written by someone reviewing another article! It's like Inception ⬇ However, good information is worth it's weight in gold and I always keep an eye open for useful advice. This is my 30 L&D articles in 30 days challenge! (Link to the article down below)

Article #27: Working with SMEs: Dr. Luke Hobson's 8-Step Framework to Building Effective Relationships, & Courses - By Cassandra Naji

How long it took to read? - 10 minutes

Who is it for? - L&D professionals that work with SMEs and would like advice on successful collaborations.

What I took from this article - The difficulty of working with SMEs is not new and, in fact, it often makes it's way into interview questions: "Tell me a time when you had a disagreement with a SME. How did you solve it?". In order to make this process more streamlined, Luke Hobson, EdD has outlined an 8-step framework to build those relationships.

I appreciate that this article covers every step of the relationship, from introductions to communications to evaluations. It's important to understand that you'll probably have multiple interactions with your SME, so getting off on the right foot is crucial. Setting expectations and providing some education in your field will help the SME understand how your skills translate to the project. Showing interest in the SME's field by completing prior research will show that you're taking their passions seriously.

I also enjoyed Naji's section at the end in which they lay out common problems that could occur and how to remedy them ("provoke a reaction" has got to be my favorite!). Overall, a great team effort by these two authors in outlining successful SME collaborations.

https://www.eduflow.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-working-with-your-subject-matter-expert