David McCoy

I have a friend who is a well-established businessman in a franchise operation.  He is one of the best, so naturally, when said franchise (term used loosely) wanted to build new systems, they grabbed him as their SME. Seemed like a smart move. I would have recommended doing the same. It’s a “process thing.” But….

• It’s difficult being an SME and maintaining your business – your little part of the franchise. Too many airplanes, too many meetings… too little time doing what made you successful. Do you think that might cause resentment? “Is this my reward? I do the best I can, and they make me a guinea pig for the whole company?” The answer is yes.
• It’s not what he signed up for. He came to work to make money and deliver service. The SME thing is nailing him on both counts. He’s delivering service, but it’s to the internal powers. Hardly what he signed up for. Is he making money? His staff will have to tell him, when he comes in from the airport. If he comes home this week.
• It’s not fun seeing all the internal politics and the machinery of IT at work. My friend has gotten deep in the bowels of IT, and process design, and reports, and screens, and all that “requirements definition” stuff. Yawn. He’s unmotivated. He’s not excited about what he sees. It’s just a big ole sausage factory and he’s the main spice, being squeezed and sprinkled as the chef sees fit.

I can go on. You have a friend just like this. We all do.

We claim that we love and respect our SMEs. Do we? Or do we use and abuse them to mine their brains and best practices? Your call. See how you are doing it. See what you can do better.

I’ll just watch my friend get a bit grayer and a bit more jaded at the whole “process.”