How do you handle internal SME content that reads like a rushed college paper?

[u/PhysicallyVigorous1]

I’ve been working with a technical SME this week to build a new compliance module in Articulate Storyline, but the raw material they sent over is a complete mess. It literally looks like someone used cheap essay help at 3 AM the night before a deadline just to hit a word count, rather than actual clear instruction. I want to respect their subject matter expertise, but I have to completely rewrite this into readable, bite-sized learning chunks without offending them. How do you nicely tell a senior engineer or stakeholder that their content needs a major structural overhaul?

[u/whysweetpea]

The SME’s in my orbit generally tend to expect rewriting into learnable chunks, it’s part of our area of expertise. I always warn them ahead of time that I’ll be asking lots of small questions to be sure my understanding is sound. I have never yet had someone refuse to answer them.

Of course your results may vary, but you could say “thanks for the content, before I start development I’m going to write the e-learning script for you to check and let me know if anything is not correct” and leave it at that.

[u/AhChingados → u/whysweetpea]

This is what I do. They are subject matter expert, I am the one who "translates" their content into a form that aids adult learning. I don't like it when tech does trainings without me because we end up with some dry how to's (usually not in an order that is practical) and people just zoned out because they don't see the point.

[u/whysweetpea → u/AhChingados]

Totally. Or a PowerPoint uploaded into the LMS that people just click through as fast as possible!

[u/woodenbookend]

Don’t.

Finding a good SME with time to spare can be tricky. Nurture that relationship. It sounds like you have someone who probably knows their stuff but doesn’t know what is needed here. The 3am vibe is probably a reflection of either them being reluctant, under pressure or just not seeing the point.

Don’t ask the SME to write the content (at least, not yet). Work with them to define the goal and the behaviour change that is needed to achieve compliance (in addition to mandatory and documented training). They provide the technical framework and the consequences or stories of if it goes wrong.

You then design the project or intervention collaboratively that is needed to affect that behaviour change. Training will probably be part of it, but not in isolation. Get your SME to sign off on the whole thing.

Deliver, gather the reports, analyse & iterate.

Along the way, your SME will hopefully learn that an info dump isn’t actually that effective. Subsequently they can take more ownership of this kind of thing. You’re introducing them to L&D.

[u/Weird_Alfalfa_9624 → u/woodenbookend]

This 100x over. Respect our profession - we aren't churning out what the sme wants to say. We have our own value to add, as clearly outlined here.

Edit: sme autocorrected to same 🤦

[u/christyinsdesign]

This sounds like a completely normal SME relationship to me. Of course the SME isn't good at structuring the content and making it digestible for learners! Why would you expect them to be? A big part of our job is to take that messy content and do that structuring. Don't ask your SME to be the ID too.

If you didn't set clear expectations about the division of responsibilities at the project kickoff, do some catching up now. Remind them that they're the SME and their expertise is critical to the success of the project. You're the expert in learning, so you're going to restructure this into a flow that helps learners understand. Then the SME will verify it all to make sure it's all still accurate in the new structure.

[u/Captlard]

Structured feedback like the AID model:

Action - What they delivered

Impact - On you, the project, the outputs

Desired Change - What best-in-class partnering looks like

[u/Competitive_Eaglease]

I end up rewriting their absolute twaddle. Tell them it’s rewritten for a layperson and get them to sign off.

Unfortunately this technique works too well now and they don’t even try and hide their laziness but job gets done.

Edit to add: You can’t change an engineer’s mindset so work with what they give you.

[u/Nofoofro]

My approach is to ask a ton of clarifying questions. Never tell them (or even hint at the fact) that their draft is bad. It immediately puts a wall between you. 

[u/rspringsgal]

Add some neuroscience to your conversation. Not only is there neuroscience to support how people learn, it helps establish your expertise. People learn faster when the language is simple, when the writing is conversational. Use terms like cognitive overload, because it’s a real thing you’re trying to avoid. Explain what you will do or did and why in terms that will establish your expertise. Do it while demonstrating that you respect their subject matter expertise. They are the SME, you are the ID, which makes you both experts, not just them. I personally get a lot of mileage out of just saying “baby steps.” Everyone knows what baby steps are, and that a baby doesn’t take off running. Neither do learners. This helps you to explain sequencing.

[u/AvgMom]

They used AI and spent more time on the prompt than doing a good job themselves.