When a Reluctant SME is Protecting Their Job

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One of the issues that I continually hear in my discussions about subject matter experts is the problem of the reluctant SME. Simply, a reluctant SME that doesn’t want to share his or her knowledge with the organization.

In particular, this came to light in a discussion with a training department that was having difficulty getting employees to share their knowledge because they felt it threatened their union and their status within the organizational hierarchy. As it turns out, this is a very common but touchy issue.

Union contracts usually designate the order in which people are promoted or let go, for example. So an employee may jealously guard their unique skill set or knowledge in an attempt to protect their position. They may also not want to share with the employer for fear it would jeopardize union power.

I discussed this with an executive that has dealt with unions throughout his career, and he admitted that it is a thorny issue but one that can be handled when it is dealt with sensitively and on a case-by-case basis.

For trainers who are having trouble getting what they need from a unionized subject matter expert, think about having both the corporation and the union leadership deal come up with a plan. Everyone needs to realize that the good of the company protects jobs. For compliance issues, those training topics are a matter of law and not negotiable.

If you’ve dealt with a reluctant SME attempting to protect their job, how have you handled it?

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Categories: Expertise, Knowledge Transfer, Subject matter experts, Training
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One thought on “When a Reluctant SME is Protecting Their Job”

  1. Good point, Peggy! A sticky subject for sure. SMEs in organizations need ongoing reassurance of their worth, with periodic “Position Statement”-type reminders that the responsibility for sharing and teaching others is what accounts for part of what’s valued in the roles they play. This is easier said than done when it comes to long-standing employment that has no established position guidelines. Position statements (signed and dated mutual agreements between each boss and employee) are not the end-all/be-all but as signed promises of how each will interact with one another makes them far superior to the old world job descriptions which fail to ignite teamwork or foster accountability.

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