From SME Pathways to Stakeholder Highways
In the fast-paced world of instructional design, relying solely on subject matter experts (SMEs) can limit the potential of your projects. This blog post distills insights from episode 89 of the Designing with Love podcast, where host Jackie Pelegrin outlines a practical playbook for expanding your engagement with stakeholders beyond the SME. Let’s dive into the essential strategies that will help you create a collaborative and effective learning environment.
Understanding the Limitations of Relying on SMEs
Jackie begins by addressing a common pitfall in instructional design: the over-reliance on a single SME. While SMEs are invaluable for their deep knowledge, banking on one person can lead to bottlenecks, misalignment, and burnout. To combat this, Jackie emphasizes the need to create a "stakeholder highway" where various voices can contribute at the right time. By expanding beyond SME pathways, designers can ensure that the learning they create resonates in the real world.
Identifying Core Stakeholder Groups
Mapping out your stakeholders is the next step. Jackie provides a clear framework for identifying who should be involved in your projects. Core groups include:
- Project sponsors and business owners who define success and outcomes.
- SMEs who provide essential knowledge and context.
- Learners, represented through surveys or interviews, are the end users of the designed content.
- Frontline leaders and managers who influence priorities and reinforcement of learning.
- Operations and process owners who understand workflows and real-world constraints.
- Tech or platform partners, including IT and LMS admins, who handle the technological aspects.
- Compliance, legal, and HR representatives to ensure adherence to policies and regulations.
Jackie suggests a practical exercise: choose a current project and sketch out a highway diagram, labeling each lane with a stakeholder group. This visualization helps in identifying who is present and who might be missing.
Timing is Key
Once stakeholders are mapped, timing becomes crucial. Jackie proposes using a project arc framework, like ADDIE, to structure engagement phases:
- Discovery and Analysis: Involve sponsors, SMEs, learner representatives, and compliance to clarify constraints early on.
- Design: Engage SMEs, learner representatives, frontline leaders, and tech partners to validate concepts.
- Development: Continue collaboration with SMEs and tech partners to ensure accuracy and feasibility.
- Implementation and Launch: Communicate clearly with sponsors and leaders for logistics and support.
- Evaluation and Iteration: Review outcomes with sponsors, leaders, and learners to refine the process.
Jackie emphasizes the value of engaging stakeholders early and lightly, preventing chaotic last-minute decisions.
Maintaining Alignment Throughout the Project
Keeping all stakeholders aligned is vital for a successful project. Jackie outlines three steps to maintain this alignment:
- Set Simple Alignment Goals: Create a one-page project brief that outlines the purpose, audience, success metrics, scope, and timeline.
- Translate ID Speak into Stakeholder Speak: Communicate in terms that resonate with stakeholders, focusing on outcomes and risks rather than technical jargon.
- Utilize Visuals: Simple visuals like timelines or journey maps can clarify complex information better than lengthy documents.
Navigating Roadblocks
Even with a solid plan, challenges may arise. Common roadblocks include ghost SMEs, conflicting feedback, and surprise requirements. Jackie suggests proactive strategies such as clarifying roles, anchoring to the project brief, and maintaining a learner-centered approach to navigate these bumps effectively.
Real-Life Application
Jackie shares a scenario to illustrate these concepts in action. When tasked with creating training for a new process, the instructional designer notices that their sole SME is overwhelmed. By pausing to regroup with the project sponsor and building a small stakeholder highway, they can invite additional voices to ensure the training is effective from day one.
Conclusion: Key Takeaways
In conclusion, moving beyond the SME-centric approach to a more inclusive stakeholder strategy can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your instructional design projects. Engaging a diverse array of voices not only enriches content but also ensures that learning initiatives are aligned with organizational goals. Remember Jackie’s quote from Henry Ford: "Coming together is the beginning. Staying together is progress. Working together is success." As you design your next project, focus on building connections that drive meaningful learning experiences.
🔗 Episode Links:
Please check out the resources mentioned in the episode. Enjoy!
Ask a Trainer: Time Slade on Working With Difficult Stakeholders and Subject Matter Experts
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/gray-concrete-road-beside-brown-mountain-during-golden-hour-163848/
Instructional Designer, Author, College Professor, and Podcast Host
Jackie, an Arizona native, leverages decades of experience as an instructional designer within both higher education and the corporate world. She holds an MBA and a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology, both acquired through online learning. In addition to her full-time role, Jackie serves as an adjunct instructor, teaching online courses at Grand Canyon University. During her leisure time, she delights in reading books across a range of genres, enjoying movies and TV shows, playing games, listening to uplifting music, and spending quality time with her family and friends.
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