Managing the Relationship with Subject Matter Experts in Organizations

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In service-based organizations, knowledge is one of the most critical assets. It directly impacts service quality, customer experience, response and handling times, and employee professionalism. Knowledge resides with people: operational knowledge, field-collected insights, professional experience, familiarity with exceptional cases, or specific clients.

But not every knowledge holder is a subject matter expert (SME).

What Makes a Knowledge Holder a Subject Matter Expert?

Not seniority alone, nor "who knows the most," but rather a combination of:

• Deep professional knowledge in a defined domain

• Formal or informal organizational recognition

• Ability to make professional decisions

• Systemic perspective, not just point-based

• Willingness to take responsibility for the knowledge

A subject matter expert is not just someone who can answer questions, but someone who defines what the correct answer is for the organization.

At the same time, it's important to remember:

• They don't always know how to articulate content in a way that aligns with the knowledge management system writing standards

• They don't always see the broader organizational picture

• They're not always available or aware of the importance of the knowledge management process in the organization

Knowledge managers and content editors often need to work not with a single SME, but with an entire network of subject matter experts, each responsible for a different content domain, with their own priorities, workloads, and working styles.

This is precisely where the skill of managing relationships with subject matter experts becomes essential.

Key Principles for Effective Relationship Management with SMEs

1. Define Roles and Expectations from the Start

• What is the SME's area of responsibility?

• What is expected of them in the process (meetings, approvals, updates)?

• What is the responsibility of knowledge management/training?

2. Work from a Partnership Mindset

The SME is not a "service provider," but a professional partner.

Partnership is built through:

• Recognition of expertise

• Involvement in decisions, not just requests

• Reflecting their contribution to the final output

3. Smart Time Management with the SME

To respect their time:

• Come to meetings with a clear objective

• Send questions and materials in advance

Tools to Support Our Work with Subject Matter Experts

It's important to remember: the goal is not to "manage" the SME but to enable efficient, focused, and collaborative work while maintaining knowledge consistency and quality.

The tool	Details	Why is this important?
Map of Enterprise Content Experts by Knowledge Worlds Please note, It's best to define a leading expert for any content world, even if there are a few knowledgeable.	Document or table of centers: Content World Content Expert Name Precise Scope of Responsibility Interfaces (who else is related) Update frequency	Prevents turning to the wrong person Clarifies the boundaries of responsibility Allows parallel work with multiple experts
Expectations Coordination Document Please note, It doesn't have to be formal. Even a summary email at the beginning of the process will work great.	A short document (one page) that defines: The Purpose of the Cooperation Types of products (procedures, content, training) The level of involvement required Response times and approvals Who makes a decision in case of a dispute	Creates clarity & reduces friction Straightening the line at the beginning Strengthens the concept of partnership
A template for gathering knowledge	A structured set of questions that will guide the expert: Detailing the process / topic? When and who is using the knowledge? Common mistakes What is important for the service provider to know? What changes often? Are there additional materials in the organization for expansion/learning?	Saves long meetings Focuses on the Expert Primarily Creates uniformity between different content worlds
Structured meeting summary Please note, Delivery within 24 hours,  critical to effectiveness	A short document/email that includes: What was agreed upon? What's left open Who is responsible for completing the information Release deadline	Prevents misunderstandings Creates Commitment Enables continuity and tracking

In Summary

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

Involving the SME only at the final stage

The SME receives an almost-finished product and is asked "just to approve."

To prevent SME frustration and preserve collaboration, it's recommended to involve them early on, define checkpoints for content validation as needed, and clarify that the goal is not just approval but accuracy.

Expecting the SME to "write the content."

That's not their role. We're supposed to take the raw content and adapt it to the principles of writing for the knowledge management system.

Ignoring the SME's workload

Knowledge transfer is in addition to their role. Therefore, it's recommended to plan, consolidate requests, and always explain the context and importance.

Most mistakes don't stem from bad intentions, but from a lack of awareness of the SME's unique role.

It's important to remember: managing relationships with SMEs is a critical skill in consulting work.

When the relationship is managed correctly:

• Knowledge is accurate, consistent, and useful

• Training processes and knowledge accessibility are more efficient

• The daily work of service providers improves

A subject matter expert is not just a knowledge source. They are a strategic partner in organizational knowledge management.

One More Word About AI (Because We Can't Avoid It...)

In recent years, AI tools have joined the picture and are becoming significant players in organizations, including in the knowledge management world. These tools can, among other things, formulate, summarize, organize, and make knowledge accessible at a speed and scale we haven't known before. They enable quick search and responses, but they are not a source of professional authority. AI:

• Is not responsible for accuracy

• Doesn't know the full organizational context

• Doesn't bear responsibility for outcomes

It's important to emphasize that artificial intelligence does not replace the SME; it changes the dynamics of the relationship. If previously we worked in a two-sided structure: Content Editor/Knowledge Manager ↔ Subject Matter Expert, today a triangular relationship is emerging: Knowledge Manager/Content Editor ↔ Subject Matter Expert ↔ AI Tool

The introduction of AI creates new challenges:

• Temptation to "bypass" the SME

• Use of unvalidated content

• Blurring of responsibility boundaries

• Sense of threat among SMEs

Here, the role of knowledge management is more critical than ever.

But we'll save something for the next article...

Good luck!

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