From the course: Elearning Tips

Tips for working with subject matter experts

From the course: Elearning Tips

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Tips for working with subject matter experts

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- Okay, so here's the thing. You know, it's not always fun working with your stakeholders and subject matter experts. Sometimes, they can be over-controlling and demanding and other times, it's like pulling teeth to get them to show any interest in your project. But the truth is, you and your stakeholders and subject matter experts need each other. They have the information you need to solve their problems. And there's a lot you can do to make your working relationship with them a productive one. So here are three simple tips for working with your stakeholders and subject matter experts. Tip number one, focus on their goals. You know, when you first meet with your stakeholders and subject matter experts, they'll usually talk about all of the things they want their employees to know. And the problem with that is that it usually results in an elearning course that's like a glorified PowerPoint style, bullet point riddled, information dump. And nobody wants that. Instead, focus your conversations on the business goals your stakeholders and subject matter experts are looking to achieve. From there, you can work backwards and focus on the behaviors your learners need to change rather than the information they need to know. Tip number two, help them understand their role and your role in the development process. You know, it's easy to assume your stakeholders and subject matter experts have an understanding of the overall elearning development process. And while they may have been involved in many different projects, that's no guarantee they'll understand how an elearning course is developed from beginning to end. So with that in mind, take some time to explain what they should expect from you during each phase of the process and what you need from them along the way. This will help you build trust and reduce the likelihood of them trying to control how you do your job. The third and final tip is to help them understand what good elearning looks like. You know, after you've been working in the field of elearning for many years, it's easy to forget that not everyone knows what a good elearning course looks like. In fact, it's more likely your stakeholders and subject matter experts have had more experience with bad elearning. Because of this, it's so important that you make a point to educate them about the qualities of good elearning design. Show them examples of your work and help them understand that a good elearning course is more than a PowerPoint presentation with some bullet points and a next button. This will help them see what's possible and help you earn respect for your abilities. Okay, so the next time you're working with your stakeholders and subject matter experts on an elearning project, use these three tips to help set yourself up for success.

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