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Design Training When You're Not the Subject Matter Expert

Subject matter experts hold the knowledge — but turning that knowledge into effective learning takes a different kind of expertise entirely. This course explores the practical skills needed to build productive working relationships with SMEs, whether you are a learning designer, facilitator, trainer, or anyone responsible for developing or delivering content you did not create yourself.

Drawing on real-world experience across organizations of varying sizes and industries, this session covers how to establish credibility with SMEs from the first conversation, how to structure interviews that surface the right information, and how to navigate the common friction points that slow projects down. Participants will also explore how virtual and remote work environments add complexity to SME relationships — and what to do about it.

If you have ever struggled to get timely input from a SME, felt like an obstacle rather than a partner, or found yourself drowning in content with no clear path to a learning outcome, this course offers concrete, immediately applicable strategies.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Distinguish between the role of content creator and context creator, and apply a context-first approach when working with subject matter experts.
2. Identify common challenges in SME relationships — including information hoarding, time constraints, and misaligned expectations — and select appropriate strategies to address them.
3. Apply relationship-building techniques to establish trust and rapport with SMEs from the outset of a project, including in remote or virtual settings.
4. Conduct a structured SME interview, including preparing relevant questions, requesting documentation in advance, and documenting agreed-upon next steps.
5. Use collaborative planning and clear role definition to align with SMEs on shared goals, review processes, and what successful learning outcomes look like