1) The document provides advice for common challenging situations that instructional designers may face when developing training programs, such as unclear requirements from subject matter experts, changing deadlines and scope, and limited budgets. 2) It recommends strategies such as getting signed approval on scope and storyboards, implementing change orders, repurposing existing materials, and acknowledging client needs while setting clear expectations. 3) The document uses examples of conversations and scenarios that may occur to demonstrate how to effectively communicate with bosses and clients to resolve issues and meet requirements within constraints.

2. Presented by
Brigitte Barrett-Johnston
Tom Voigt
The Nielsen Company

3. SME No No Angry
Smacking Time Money Bosses
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4. SME No No Angry
Smacking Time Money Bosses
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5. You‟ve worked hard to
finish a project and
delivered on time.
Now your SME says,
“this isn‟t what I
expected.”
What do you do?

6. What you should have done in the
first place:
Manage SME Expections
• Do a detailed Scope document
• Get signed acknowledgement
• Get signed Storyboard approval
• Document all changes

7. Your SME is
supposed to review
your storyboard and
give signed
approval but he/she
hasn‟t responded in
over two weeks!

8. Modify the Scope
• Change the planned delivery
dates accordingly
• Do not reinforce SMEs by
adjusting planned deliverable
dates – you‟ll never win!

9. Your SME has decided
the content has
changed since the
original job
specifications. He/she
wants to modify the
content.

10. Acknowledge Client Needs
Say, “That‟s fine!
We love to accommodate our SME‟s and
make whatever changes they request!
However, we must implement a „Change
Order‟ and modify the deliverable dates!”

11. The SME reveals:
“You know, our
content is changing
all the time as new
corporate initiatives
are implemented.
We‟ll need to update
this content
frequently.”

12. Tell your SME:
“We understand. CHANGE is the
nature of business these days.
You might want to consider an
alternative way to deliver your
content – one that can be updated
more frequently.”

13. Monday – 8:00 a.m.
Scene: Your boss‟ office
Your boss says:
“This is a HOT issue. You
need to produce these
tutorials THIS WEEK!

14. Monday – 8:10 a.m.
Scene: Your boss‟ office
You say:
“No problem, boss! How about we
record the Subject Matter Expert‟s
presentation and post that on the
LMS!?

15. Your boss calls you
into his/her office
and says, “Joe Client
had an urgent
training need – and
you failed to meet
his/her deliverable
deadline.”

16. You smile and say, “Yes, Boss, we
did fail to meet his/her deadlines.
Let me explain why.”
And then you produce:
• The original Scope
• Copies of correspondence
• Change orders
• Work completed to date

17. A new product is being released
and online training support has
been requested. The only “source”
materials are the sales
presentations. The product launch
is in two weeks.

18. Use the existing materials to prepare
“first round” online support:
• Convert the Sales
presentations to
Articulate
• Create a “FAQ‟s” tutorial
• Record, wrap, and post
any audio presentations.

19. Your boss tells you “our newest client
can‟t wait 12 weeks to produce a
tutorial!” We need to impress them with
something HOT – within a month!

20. One option is to PANIC!
Another option is to go for the quick
production, impression makers:
• Animate a PowerPoint; produce in
Articulate
• Do a picture montage with voice
and/or music
• Stock video with “curriculum text”

21. A client has recently approached you with
a dilemma – “I have 200 employees
across the company who need training on
a new software product we’re rolling out
in one month.
I do not have the
budget to send 200
of my employees to
Chicago for training.
What should I do?”

22. Assess the Needs – Make a Plan –
Exceed the Needs
Repurpose Any
Determine the Need
Existing Resources
• Who‟s your audience? • Create e-learning modules –
How many users need to using the presentation or training
be trained? materials as your content
• Where are they located? • Help facilitate a virtual class with
the instructor – reach several
• Who will be our Subject
hundred clients – regardless of
Matter Expert (SME)
location – do large groups with
• Do existing materials exist? Live Meeting, WebEx or Centra
• Who will facilitate?

23. The training department at your
company has recently been
reorganized. Your client informs you
that there are not enough trainers
available to visit clients for on-site
training sessions. The client asks,
“how will I be certain my employees
receive education on this important
new module?”

24. • Offer to create a tutorial or recorded session featuring
the new module.
• Ask the training department if a SME is available to
“voice” a recorded session.
• Develop a tight PowerPoint presentation to use as your
template for the recording.
• Schedule time with the Training Department SME to
capture their voice and screen movements for the
recorded session.
• If a recorded session is not an option, utilize the
Training Department SME to develop content for an on-
line tutorial.

25. According to the Director of Curriculum,
many of the tutorials within our Learning
Management System are out-of-date
and need updating.
How do we accomplish this task of
updating the outdated content on our
LMS (learning management system)
without the budget?

26. • Offer to update the course descriptions for the
outdated courses.
• Meet with your SME‟s who helped create the
original content – ask them to review the
tutorial
• If the changes are not extensive – offer to add
a caveat to the course description – explaining
the outdated content within the tutorial.
• If the changes are extensive, offer to retire the
course from the catalog, but ask for approval
from your SME before doing so.

27. You have been contacted by your Human
Resources Representative – “We have several
new employees at our company who need to
learn more about the organization. In the past,
we have sent these new employees to our
different offices across the globe to learn more
about the company. Unfortunately, our
employees can no longer travel internationally
to receive this in-person training. How can I be
certain these new teams get a “global”
perspective on the organization without the
option to travel?

28. • Offer to meet with the Global HR contacts and get
their perspective on this training they‟ve provided in
the past.
• Because these Global HR contacts are
“international” – scheduling a virtual training course
might be difficult from a scheduling perspective.
• Ask if there are training materials or presentations
provided to trainees in the past.
• If there are training materials available, re-purposing
the training materials in to Articulate to create a
tutorial is always a viable option.

29. Time: 2:15 p.m.
Scene: Your boss‟ office
Boss: “Our largest just client called!
She said you knew that her
orientation program started today –
and you didn‟t have her training
tutorials done in time for today‟s
orientation

30. Try this formula:
• Acknowledge the complaint, and your
understanding (“Yep, I knew the
orientation was today!)
• Explain the facts:
o Original Scope
o Change Orders
o Email correspondence
• Assure your boss you‟ll make the client
happy right away.

31. The boss demos
your project and
it crashes.

32. Crashes Happen!
It‟s always a good idea to have
several back-ups and alternative
delivery methods.
And you‟ll get points for being so
well prepared as to have every
contingency covered!

33. You just completed a tutorial in
Camtasia. Your boss says, “the color
scheme is awful – it has to be
changed.”
What do you do?

34. Acknowledge the request
• Then get the SME‟s approval to
change – they selected and
approved the colors
• Do the job over!
BONUS QUESTION

35. What was the worse, most
challenging, and/or frustrating
training development situation
you‟ve faced? How did you
handle it?

36. Did your solution:
• Meet the client‟s needs?
• Complied with time constraints?
• Come within budget?