9 Types of SMEs You Need to Know How to Work With

In any instructional design project, one of the most important contributors is the Subject Matter Expert (SME). Whether designing training programs, creating eLearning content, or developing resources, SMEs provide the deep, specialized knowledge that ensures the material is accurate, relevant, and engaging. But, like any collaboration, working with SMEs comes with its own unique set of challenges. Each SME brings their own style, approach, and perspective, which can shape how they contribute to the work and influence the overall success of the project.

In this post, we’ll explore the different types of SMEs commonly encountered in instructional design, highlighting the strengths and challenges of each. Plus, we’ll offer tips for making the most out of these collaborations so that the resulting training is not only insightful but also impactful and effective.

What is a SME and Why They Are Valuable

A Subject Matter Expert (SME) is an individual with extensive knowledge and expertise in a specific field or subject. In the context of instructional design, SMEs are the go-to resources for ensuring that the content is not only accurate but also reflects current trends, practices, and insights within the discipline. They may be industry veterans, technical specialists, or even internal employees with deep, hands-on experience in a particular area.

The value of SMEs in instructional design cannot be overstated. They provide critical information and context that shapes the foundation of any training program. Without them, the training could lack the accuracy, depth, and relevancy needed to truly benefit learners. Their expertise ensures that content is not just theoretical but also practical, grounded in real-world application.

However, while SMEs bring invaluable insight, they may not always have the experience or tools to present their knowledge in a way that’s accessible to learners. This is where the instructional designer’s expertise in learning theory, pedagogy, and content structure becomes crucial. It’s a symbiotic relationship: instructional designers take the SME’s knowledge and shape it into engaging, learner-friendly content. Together, SMEs and instructional designers create training experiences that are both informative and engaging, ultimately making a significant impact on learner outcomes.

Types of SMEs

When working with SMEs, it’s important to recognize that not all experts are the same. Each one brings their own style, strengths, and challenges to the table. Understanding these differences can help adapt the approach to each SME, leading to better collaboration and more effective training. Here are some common types of SMEs you might encounter.

The Master of Details

The Master of Details SME thrives on providing deep dives into the subject matter. They love exploring every nook and cranny, offering meticulous descriptions and an in-depth analysis of each aspect. Their focus on accuracy and thoroughness is incredibly valuable, especially for complex or technical subjects. However, they may sometimes get lost in the minutiae, leaving you with a wealth of information that can overwhelm rather than inform the learner.

• Pros

  • Rich, accurate insights into the topic

  • Great for technical or highly detailed content

  • Can provide a thorough understanding of complex material

• Challenges

  • Too much detail can overwhelm learners

  • Risk of getting sidetracked by minor points

  • May struggle to focus on high-level objectives

How to Work with Them

To work effectively with this SME, you'll need to help them zoom out and see the bigger picture. Start by guiding them to share an overall summary of the topic, establishing the key learning objectives. From there, encourage them to identify the most relevant details that directly support those objectives. The goal is to distill the material into digestible pieces, ensuring that learners aren’t bogged down by excessive information but still benefit from the expert knowledge they bring.

The Storyteller

The Storyteller SME is a master at weaving engaging narratives that bring their expertise to life. They excel at telling real-world stories, personal experiences, and anecdotes that make their subject matter both relatable and memorable. However, they sometimes get so wrapped up in the storytelling aspect that they lose track of the core learning objectives, which can make the content feel more like a series of loosely connected tales rather than a structured lesson.

• Pros

  • Engaging and relatable content

  • Memorable, real-world examples

  • Can help make abstract concepts more concrete

• Challenges

  • Risk of losing focus on key learning objectives

  • Stories may become too long or detailed

  • Can wander off-topic or include unnecessary tangents

How to Work with Them

Allow them the space to share their stories, but gently guide them back to the key lessons they want to convey. Encourage them to identify the learning takeaway from each story and help them connect the anecdotes to the overall learning objectives. It’s also helpful to ask them to condense their stories into shorter, more focused versions that maintain engagement while remaining on track.

The Perfectionist

The Perfectionist SME is all about getting things just right. They’ll obsess over every detail, carefully combing through the material to ensure it’s error-free and as polished as possible. While this attention to detail ensures the highest quality, it can also slow down progress and lead to delays. In the context of learning, it’s important to remind them that perfection isn't always necessary, and the focus should be on making content both clear and engaging, not flawless.

• Pros

  • Delivers high-quality, accurate information

  • Ensures attention to detail

  • Makes sure content is thorough and free from errors

• Challenges

  • Can slow down the project with endless revisions

  • Might focus too much on perfection at the cost of the learner experience

  • Reluctant to move forward without feeling that everything is perfect

How to Work with Them

Set clear timelines and make sure they understand that "perfect" is not the goal. Emphasize the importance of learner engagement and clear, actionable content. Help them prioritize which elements truly need refinement and which can be left as is to meet the deadline. Encourage iterative improvements rather than exhaustive revisions, which allows you to maintain the flow of the project.

The Overloaded Expert

The Overloaded Expert SME is often stretched thin, balancing a multitude of responsibilities and struggling to dedicate the time and focus necessary for your project. While they are experts in their field, their scattered attention can make it difficult for them to stay on top of tasks or contribute consistently. Their input may come in bursts of productivity but can be fragmented and sometimes incomplete due to their other commitments.

• Pros

  • Strong knowledge of the subject matter

  • Can provide valuable insights when they have time to focus

  • Often open to collaboration

• Challenges

  • Difficulty prioritizing the project

  • Limited availability and focus

  • Their contributions may be incomplete or last-minute

How to Work with Them

Show patience and flexibility. Recognize that their time is valuable and help them prioritize the most critical parts of the project. Often they are overloaded because they are seen as very valuable in many areas. Break the work into smaller, more manageable tasks to make it easier for them to contribute without feeling overwhelmed. Set realistic timelines and provide regular check-ins to ensure they remain engaged and on track. By offering structure and organization, you can help them focus on delivering high-quality contributions.

The Conventional Pro

The Conventional Pro SME values tradition and often resists new methods or technology. They are deeply rooted in their tried-and-true approaches, preferring familiar instructional methods like lectures, written materials, or instructor-led training. While their methods may be effective in their view, they may not fully appreciate the benefits of new learning strategies or technology.

• Pros

  • Deep expertise and knowledge of the field

  • Well-versed in traditional methods that work

  • Typically reliable and consistent

• Challenges

  • Resistant to new instructional methods or technologies

  • May not see the value in modern learning strategies

  • Can limit the variety of approaches to one style

How to Work with Them

To collaborate effectively with a Conventional Pro, approach new ideas gradually. Present evidence of the benefits that new techniques can bring, especially if they improve learner engagement or performance. Show how newer methods can complement the traditional ones, perhaps by offering examples where innovation enhances, rather than replaces, their preferred approach. Be patient and give them time to adjust, emphasizing that flexibility can lead to even better results.

The Last-Minute Legend

The Last-Minute Legend SME works best under pressure, often waiting until the final hours before submitting their contributions. While they might rush to meet deadlines, their insights are usually valuable, and they can quickly pull together material when needed. However, their last-minute style can cause issues with timelines, leaving little room for feedback or revision.

• Pros

  • Can produce high-quality work under pressure

  • Often has fresh ideas and sharp insights

  • Can pull things together quickly at the last moment

• Challenges

  • Risk of delayed contributions impacting the timeline

  • Limited time for review and revisions

  • May require last-minute adjustments that disrupt planning

How to Work with Them

Set clear expectations early about deadlines and communicate the importance of adhering to them. Build buffer time into the schedule to account for last-minute work, and stay engaged with them throughout the process. Breaking the project into smaller milestones with more regular check-ins can help them avoid procrastination. Having a flexible, supportive approach while encouraging timely delivery will keep things moving forward.

The One-Method Expert

The One-Method Expert SME believes that there is a universal solution for all learners. They prefer standardized approaches, such as one-way lectures or reading materials, and tend to overlook the diversity of learner needs. This approach might be effective for certain topics or audiences but can miss the mark when engaging a broader learner base.

• Pros

  • Strong focus on delivering consistent content

  • Can create a structured and repeatable approach

  • Simple and easy-to-understand for certain learner groups

• Challenges

  • Overlooks individual learning needs and preferences

  • Lacks variety in instructional methods

  • May fail to engage diverse audiences effectively

How to Work with Them

Introduce the concept of learner-centered design by showcasing examples where varied methods (such as videos, interactive activities, or simulations) improve learner engagement. Encourage them to think about how different learners absorb and retain information and how diversifying the instructional approach can benefit everyone. Providing evidence or case studies about the effectiveness of multiple learning strategies can help them see the value in broader design choices.

The Big Picture Connector

The Big Picture Connector SME excels at seeing how all the pieces of a subject fit together. They can easily understand and explain the overarching systems or frameworks that connect concepts, but they may struggle to break down the content into smaller, more digestible pieces for learners. Their strength lies in their ability to grasp the overall landscape, but this can sometimes lead to difficulties when trying to focus on individual elements.

• Pros

  • Excellent understanding of the broader context

  • Can see how various elements interconnect

  • Strong at explaining the "why" behind a subject

• Challenges

  • Struggles to break down content into smaller chunks

  • May have difficulty focusing on specific learning objectives

  • Can overwhelm learners with abstract ideas

How to Work with Them

Guide them toward structuring content in a way that’s digestible for learners. Help them identify key concepts and break those into manageable chunks. Encourage them to focus on individual learning objectives first and then connect those pieces to the bigger picture. By helping them frame the material in a logical sequence, you can create a coherent flow for learners.

The Compartmentalizer

The Compartmentalizer SME is highly organized, often keeping their expertise in neatly separated sections. They’re great at providing detailed information about specific components of the subject, but may struggle with weaving those individual pieces together into a cohesive narrative. This results in well-organized, but sometimes disconnected, content that’s hard for learners to piece together.

• Pros

  • Strong organizational skills

  • Detailed knowledge of specific areas

  • Clear, well-structured contributions

• Challenges

  • May fail to connect the dots between different sections

  • Content may feel disjointed or fragmented

  • Struggles to convey how individual pieces fit together

How to Work with Them

Help them focus on the connections between the different parts of the material. Guide them to see how each section fits into the broader learning objectives and how those individual pieces contribute to the learner's understanding of the whole. By helping them integrate the content into a more cohesive structure, you’ll create a more connected, logical flow for learners.

Working with SMEs can be a rewarding experience, but it requires a flexible approach to navigate the different personalities, work styles, and expertise levels they bring to the table. Understanding the nuances of each SME type, from the meticulous Master of Details expert to the fast-paced Last-Minute Legend, allows you to tailor your collaboration strategies to make the most of their strengths while minimizing challenges.

Whether you’re working with a Storyteller who adds depth and relatability to content, or a Big Picture Connector who helps you understand how everything fits together, your goal should always be to foster a productive, supportive relationship. Communicate openly, set clear expectations, and adapt to their preferred working styles. By understanding their needs and framing the work in a way that aligns with their strengths, you can create more effective, engaging learning experiences that benefit both the SME and the learners.

Remember, no two SMEs are the same. Each one brings something unique to the table, and the ability to manage these different dynamics will be a key factor in delivering successful learning programs. So, embrace the diversity, be patient, and keep the focus on collaboration. The results will speak for themselves.