Why Subject Matter Experts Struggle to Train Beginners: The Expert Blind Spot Explained
By
Alex Tkachenko
Summary
This article examines the "expert blind spot" phenomenon where Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) struggle to create effective workplace training because their deep expertise makes them forget what it's like to be a beginner. It explains how cognitive automation in experts leads them to skip steps, use jargon, and overload learners with information. The article offers L&D professionals strategies to bridge this gap, including chunking content, using scaffolding techniques, and having SMEs articulate their tacit knowledge through structured interviews and task analysis.
Source
bskyWhy Subject Matter Experts Struggle to Train Beginners: The Expert Blind Spot Explainedelearningindustry.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledExpertise does something invisible to the people who develop it. Over years of deliberate practice, complex multi-step processes become automatic.
The very depth of knowledge that makes someone an expert is the same thing that makes them a poor instructor for novices.
When experts skip steps in their explanations, they aren't being lazy—they genuinely don't see the steps anymore.
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