Abstract
Four professionals in the talent development world come together to better understand the relational working relationship between subject matter experts (SMEs) and instructional designers (IDs) and the potential towards nuanced engagement and collaboration between the SMEs, between IDs, as well as between talent management leadership. The discussion focuses on a deeper understanding between the SMEs and IDs while nurturing a strong collaborative synergistic working relationship and maintaining a depth of intellectual respect. The subsequent outcome is the potential towards the strengthened quality of the collaborative work environment and the quality of the initial training product and long-term collaborative environment. The themes that naturally evolved through the participant engagement evolved around philosophical beliefs, engagement, comfortability, trust, and inverting the relationship depending upon the desired outcome.
TopBackground
The SME’s effectiveness as lead trainer is dependent upon their knowledge of quality learner-centric training practices and products. Connecting learners’ real-world experiential knowledge with agile training efforts is essential for learners to attain intended competencies and longitudinal capabilities. The effort towards understanding the impact of SMEs as technical trainers and facilitators has been under extended study (AlZawati et al., 2018; Maia et al., 2017; Martin et al., 2019; Rice-Bailey, 2016; Williams, 2001). A comprehensive study and focused attention are also how to work with SMEs, such as push and pull the knowledge base and increase SME engagement to design and create viable training product(s) and associated learner experiences. Herein is the introduction of the ID talents (Crapo & Moitra, 2013; Davey et al., 2019; Harris & Greg, 2999; Lee, 1994; Moller, 1995). How does an ID foster and build a relational and intellectual synergistic SME partnership on a schedule and budget in a work environment? Consider an initial metaphorical building block associated with developing a viable working relationship. The necessity of fostering a collaborative partnership expands into an intentional mutual respect collaboration of the ebb and flow associated with relationally successful creative synergy.
For example, a successful working creative team considers roles and competencies. Solomon (2016) suggested the following eight aspects for a collaborative and successful team.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Talent: The natural, studied, real-world, and nuanced skills brought forward by each team member in the training and talent development product development and implementation process. A respect for and recognition of talent amongst all team members is integrally important, understanding the inverting of the relationship that is dependent upon the desired outcome.
Expertise: Prior knowledge based upon time and effort on the job and in the field, which includes both learned knowledge from study of the field as well as developed conceptual understandings based upon real-world work effort.
Milestone: The points throughout a project life cycle, wherein checks and balances are designated so as to ensure quality, time, and monetary allocation all align. The stakeholders within a project are tasked with analyzing product deliverables at each milestone point, and is associated with sign-off before a project can move forward.
Performance: This term reflects not only the performance of the training and talent development team, but also the performance improvement aspect of the training products that are implemented, with both short-term impact as well as long-term boots on the ground real-world impact.
Collaboration: The relational way that a team of two or more people work together towards a successful outcome.
Subject Matter Expert: The team member(s) who have a breadth and depth of knowledge associated with the subject matter under focused study. The time working in the field and associated expertise gained throughout years of hands on, on the job learning directly influence and impact all aspects of the training and talent development product.
Instructional Designer: The professional who is charged with designing and developing training and talent development products through a procedural process designated as analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.