How to request a subject matter expert interview

How do you request interviews from subject matter experts?

I find that asking a subject matter expert (SME) for an interview is uncomfortable because I am asking them to carve time out of their regular duties, to work on a documentation project which isn’t their top priority. I’ve been looking for guidance on the web and in the literature, but only found email templates. Emails aren’t working in my situation: that’s not how we communicate internally in my organization, and they are way too easy to ignore.

I also don’t want to just send an email or calendar invitation and hope for the best.

I want to prepare the invitation to maximize the chance that the SME will:

• accept the interview request,
• come prepared to the meeting,
• look forward to the interview.

My approach to requesting a subject matter expert interview

I like to start with an informal heads-up on slack or during a daily scrum meeting and follow up with the calendar invitation after I’ve received an acknowledgement from the SME.

Click here to view the SME interview request checklist in Google Documents.

Informal heads-up on slack or during the daily scrum meeting

Internally, we communicate through messaging (slack), and reserve emails for outbound communication with partners and clients. Daily scrum meetings are also a great avenue to let them know what’s coming up. I try to keep the initial request short, but include the following information:

• Context (what I’m writing on, objective and background from the documentation brief)
• Documentation goals (how they will help others)
• The scope of what I will interview them about (what they will have to prepare)
• How long I need from them (try to keep the initial meeting around half an hour)

I conclude by asking what days and times work best in the upcoming week to set up a meeting.

Calendar invitation

This TechWhirl article on SME interviews has good tips on what to include in the meeting invitation. What I include:

• Exact date and time
• Room
• The scope of the interview, if it’s going to be an open-ended interview
• My list of questions, if I have already done some research and have specific questions
• Applicable references (such as links to current documentation or references to code)

When I know the SME is particularly adverse to meetings, documentation, or both

If I know in advance that an SME is particularly adverse to meetings, documentation, or both, I shuffle things a bit. I find that subject matter experts often cannot resist helping me with a specific problem. I go in the code, try to understand as much as I can by myself, and prepare a list of precise questions I need the SME’s help with.

What’s your technique? I’d love it if you shared your approach or links in the comments!