{"id":2199,"date":"2015-03-12T00:01:03","date_gmt":"2015-03-12T04:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/terrencemetz.com\/?p=2199"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:47:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:47:52","slug":"subject-matter-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/subject-matter-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Facilitators Need to be Subject Matter Experts? Content vs. Context"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of the best facilitators are NOT<\/span> Subject Matter Experts within the topic and scope of the discussion. However, they cannot afford to be subject matter ignorant. They need to be subject matter conversant and understand the terms being used. They must understand the relationship of content to the deliverable, but they do NOT<\/span> have to have an \u2018answer.\u2019<\/h2>\n
\"Subject<\/a>

Subject Matter Experts<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

For example, we facilitated sessions in North America, Europe, and Asia with radiologists and directors of radiology. We supported a manufacturer to help them design their next generation of CT (Computerized Tomography) scanners. While NOT a physicist or radiologist we prepared by understanding the basic and essential principles of operation. We were also highly effective at facilitating discussions around pain points and possible solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Neutrality<\/a>, curiosity, and willingness to challenge<\/a> assumptions are far more important facilitator skills<\/a> than being an expert on the topic. Without the humility that encourages one to \u2018seek to understand rather than being understood\u2019, participants will drop out, go quiet, and disengage because they are thinking: \u201cIf this person (the leader or facilitator) already has the answer, then why are they seeking out my opinion?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The better challenge or question may be, \u201cWhat is the unit of measurement<\/a> for distinguishing between \u2018subject matter expertise\u2019 and \u2018subject matter conversant\u2019?\u201d For us, the answer is simple.<\/span><\/p>\n

Context Preparation<\/h2>\n

Before the session begins, the facilitator and participants ought to be properly prepared. Optimal preparation includes writing down the meeting purpose, scope<\/a>, deliverables, and simple agenda before the meeting begins. Make sense? Hopefully, you understand that the facilitator, at minimum, better know the reason for the meeting, WHY it is important (i.e., purpose), WHAT will be covered and NOT covered during the meeting (i.e., scope—that is necessary to prevent meeting scope creep, the number one killer of meetings), WHERE the group is headed (ie, the deliverable or what DONE looks like), and HOW they are going to get there (ie, the agenda or prepared structure).<\/span><\/p>\n

Therefore the unit of measurement becomes the glossary or lexicon. How much does the facilitator understand the terms being used in the prepared meeting purpose, scope, deliverables, and simple agenda? To what extent does the facilitator\u2019s understanding of those terms harmonize with the understanding of the participants, their culture, and the project team or work that must occur after the meeting concludes? To what extent<\/a> do the participants share the same or identical meaning of the terms used?<\/span><\/p>\n

We illustrate this importance by challenging you to explain the difference between a \u2018goal\u2019 and an \u2018objective<\/a>\u2019. To us, they are NOT the same thing. We prefer an operational definition suggesting that \u2018goals\u2019 are directional and somewhat fuzzy. For example, a mountain climber may have a \u2018goal\u2019 of getting some good photographs when they reach the summit. An \u2018objective\u2019 however is truly SMART<\/a>\u2014i.e., Specific, Measurable, Adjustable (our preferred deviation from Deming\u2019s original definition of Achievable), Realistic, and Time-based. For example, a mountain climber may need to be sheltered in a tent and sleeping bag at 3,000 meters by 17:00 before a storm blows in or they risk freezing to death.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cultural Considerations<\/h2>\n

Some cultures define \u2018goals\u2019 and \u2018objectives\u2019 as the opposite of our preference, defining \u2018objectives\u2019 as fuzzy and goals as SMART. A good facilitator is agnostic and can use either set of definitions. They also know the importance of determining the optimal definitions BEFORE the meeting begins. They are responsible for controlling the context<\/a> (i.e., contextual expertise) and not the content (i.e., subject matter expertise).<\/span><\/p>\n

______<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Don\u2019t ruin your career by hosting bad meetings<\/a>. Sign up for a workshop<\/a> or send this to someone who should. MGRUSH<\/span><\/a><\/em> workshops focus on meeting design and practice. Each person practices tools, methods, and activities every day during the week. Therefore, while some call this immersion, we call it the road to building high-value facilitation skills.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Some of the best facilitators are NOT Subject Matter Experts within the topic and scope of the discussion. However, they cannot afford to be subject matter ignorant. They need to be subject matter conversant and understand the terms being used. They must understand the relationship of content to the deliverable, but they do NOT have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[453185952,55884429],"tags":[453190966,453190954,453190707,453192254,453190860],"class_list":["post-2199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-facilitation-skills","category-meeting-support","tag-content-vs-context","tag-do-facilitators-need-to-be-subject-matter-experts","tag-facilitator-neutrality","tag-sme","tag-subject-matter-experts"],"yoast_head":"\nFacilitators As Subject Matter Experts? 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However, he also observed meetings that worked. What set them apart? A well-prepared leader who structured the session to ensure participants contributed meaningfully and achieved clear outcomes. Throughout his career, Metz, who earned an MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern University) experienced and also trained in various facilitation techniques. In 2004, he purchased MG RUSH where he shifted his focus toward improving established meeting designs and building a curriculum that would teach others how to lead, facilitate, and structure meetings that drive results. His expertise in training world-class facilitators led to the 2020 publication of Meetings That Get Results: A Guide to Building Better Meetings, a comprehensive resource on effectively building consensus. Grounded in the principle that \u201cnobody is smarter than everybody,\u201d the book details the why, what, and how of building consensus when making decisions, planning, and solving problems. Along with a Participant\u2019s Guide and supplemental workshops, it supports learning from foundational awareness to professional certification. Metz\u2019s first book, Change or Die: A Business Process Improvement Manual, tackled the challenges of process optimization. His upcoming book, Catalyst: Facilitating Innovation, focuses on meetings and workshops that don\u2019t simply end when time runs out but conclude with actionable next steps and clear assignments\u2014ensuring progress beyond discussions and ideas.","sameAs":["http:\/\/MGrush.com","http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/terrencemetz\/","@teammetz","https:\/\/x.com\/TerrenceMetz","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=j4x3-Qo9Ez4"],"birthDate":"1955-09-23","gender":"male","jobTitle":"Managing Director","worksFor":"MG Rush Facilitation","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/author\/teammetz7\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/effective-facilitators-avoid-content-kowtow-by-participants.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2199"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2199\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}