Webinar: Those who can do, can't teach

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How to turn subject matter expert knowledge into training that works

Insights overall

Effective learning requires both subject matter expertise and instructional design skill. While SMEs provide critical knowledge, they often struggle to transfer it effectively without the structured approach of instructional designers who understand how people learn. The most impactful learning comes from pairing these complementary skill sets.

Key takeaways

The SME challenge

• SMEs are often "unconsciously competent"—they've forgotten what it's like not to know their subject, making it difficult to teach effectively.

• SMEs typically begin explanations at an advanced level, skipping foundational concepts essential for beginners.

• SMEs' examples and analogies often don't translate across cultures. 

  
  

The learning journey 

• Effective learning design moves learners through distinct stages:

  1. Unconsciously incompetent (don't know what they don't know)

  2. Consciously incompetent (aware of knowledge gaps)

  3. Consciously competent (can perform with effort)

  4. Unconsciously competent (automatic performance)

• Most training programs fail by jumping straight to "how to" without first establishing "why"—skipping the critical brain engagement phase. 
  

ROI reality

• Many organizations settle for "remember level" training that checks compliance boxes but delivers zero ROI because it doesn't change behavior 
  

A warning about AI

• When asked if AI could replace instructional designers, Google's Gemini admitted it struggles with sequencing content properly, introduces terms without defining them, and creates "vanilla content" that's unengaging

• AI-generated learning content currently lacks organizational context and typically produces uninspiring material that doesn't drive retention 
  

What actually works

• Using standard authoring tools (not custom code) allows for quick updates without developer bottlenecks and simplifies translations

• Most effective approach is using digital learning for knowledge transfer (the 10%) followed by workshop practice (the 20%) and on-the-job application (the 70%)

• Design digital content from the outset to be "transcreatable"—ensure imagery works across cultures and avoid region-specific references 
  

About the speaker

Mark Savinson, CEO of Strategy to Revenue (STR), brings experience as both an SME and someone who built a company of instructional designers and developers. He advocates for effective learning design that drives behavior change and business impact.