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Subject:Technical Trainers who are also SMEs From:Kate Schommer <KSchommer -at- METSYSENG -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 20 Apr 1999 10:40:46 -0500
It is unfortunately rare to find the ideal combination of training expertise and subject matter expertise in the same person. If SMEs must do the training, have you sent them to a "Train-the-Trainer" course? A good TTT course will cover a wide range of topics, including presentation skills, presenting a professional image, customer service, and adjusting the training experience for the audience. My company offers Train-the-Trainer and Train-the-Service-Technician programs specifically for the consumer products manufacturing industry, but there are several more general TTT courses out there.
Another way to improve the SMEs' training skills is to have them practice with an in-house audience and provide them with *constructive* feedback on all aspects of the training experience. Have other SME trainers sit in on the session so they can learn from each other. Do this whenever there is a new product or a change in the training approach.
The American Society for Training and Development is a good resource for further information: http://www.astd.org.
Kate Schommer
Sr. Technical Writer
Metsys Engineering Incorporated
kschommer -at- metsyseng -dot- com
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Phyllis Palmer wrote:
Hello all,
My responsibilities overlap both our Technical Publications department as
well as Training. In our high tech business, we have been using SMEs to do
training. In general, they are great as far as practical knowledge, but I
am concerned that we are not presenting the best "face" of our company to
the trainees. The SME folks usually are less polished, untidy in dress, and
some mannerisms are not, well, as professional for the presentation they are
making. Some are not as adept at picking up the trainee's "profile," or
picking up queues from their environment.
Have any of you approached "cleaning up" the SME for the training
environment? How did you go about training this type of trainer?
