2019 - 08 - 12 - How To Deal With A Subject Matter Expert

Like all of us, Subject Matter Experts come in all personality types. So what is the best way to deal with the subject matter expert that you have been assigned for your instructional design project? While I find subject matter experts may be described along a continuum of "Don't want to be bothered" to "Don't steal my thunder" a similar approach works in most situations. Show the person you are working with that you value them. That you value their time and their expertise in whatever subject your instructional design project is all about. This simple approach can smooth over many stormy waters. At the extremes, it can be important to be systematically programmed and pull out what you need from a reluctant expert and on the other extreme, it can be important that you show you are not trying to be the hero of the story but instead are trying to be the Obi-Wan to their Luke Skywalker. That you are a resource to make them shine and not take away any of the spotlight.