The Importance of Experts

By: Kelly Willis

I’m not sure exactly when it happened, but the term “SME” (pronounced “smee”) started cropping up in business vernacular about ten or more years ago. A Subject Matter Expert. It used to be that a person was known as an expert, but they didn’t have an acronym to hang their hat on. At Significance, one of the things we focus and pride ourselves on is ensuring we have true experts on the job—not so they could have alphabet soup at the end of their titles, but because being an expert—and having expertise—is critical to our clients and the important work we do to help them deliver on their mission.  

Unfortunately, sometimes organizations have the wrong person for the job or people in roles that don’t have the level of experience to solve the problem or get the project over the finish line—much less someone who will develop innovative solutions that exceed expectations. I’ve personally witnessed on multiple occasions the implications of NOT having the right person with the right expertise on a project. I recall vividly when I saw a company win a contract based on pricing but then brought in all brand new resources that had no expertise. It didn’t take long to realize they were not able to execute the work and that work was subsequently awarded to a different vendor with the required level of knowledge that not only could do the required work but fix what the last vendor broke. Time and money was lost in the process.

I have also seen firsthand the impact that expertise, or lack thereof, has on the morale of the team, the level of creativity, innovation of solutions, and the stress levels of clients. When true experts are on-board and they are given the leeway to do what they do best, it’s a winning combination for all involved. And, once they are on-board, it’s critical to give them the freedom and leadership that is warranted so that their full value is realized. I have been in situations where there were true experts on a project but their opinions, knowledge, and experience were not recognized. I’ve witnessed the disastrous results including a negative impact on timelines, deliverables, and attitudes of all involved.

The focus of my career has been government contracting in financial management and Navy systems. There are complexities to these fields. I have been through both system and priority changes, which require the ability to adapt and gain new levels of expertise. I’ve had colleagues and clients come and go over the past 20 plus years and I’ve seen the negative career impact on those who did not keep up their skills or have interest in new systems.

One of the main reasons I joined Significance is the company’s focus on providing quality people and their high level of expertise. I knew I would be working with smart, capable, and motivated people who have a shared desire to give the clients the highest value and best solutions possible. So, you can call them SMEs or just really smart people who can deliver on the task at hand. All we know is that providing these experts to our clients and having those experts develop relationships, solutions, and trust are the foundation to everything we do.