100 Posts in 100 Days
My dad is retired, but he worked as a traveling salesman for over 45. During my childhood, he essentially traveled every other week. When he retired, he added up the number of nights he had stayed in one particular hotel chain. Divided by 365 nights and his stays totaled 16 years! And that doesn’t count the nights he stayed in other hotels.
Clearly, he has traveled a lot and eaten out a lot. He has learned some things over the years and has what I would call “restaurant rituals”:
- Never look at the menu until you have ordered and received your beverage.
- Always ask your server for their recommendations.
My uncle has a career as a civilian contractor for the US military. He also has had his share of travel. More than that, I think his use of acronyms rivals anything we have in education.
So, when I was out to dinner with my dad and my uncle this week, my dad predictably asked the server for his recommendation (after receiving a delicious hibiscus margarita) and my uncle quickly declared the server our “SME”. The server gave my uncle a quizzical look, as did I. “SME: Subject Matter Expert” he shared. “You know better than anyone at this table what’s good and worth ordering. You are our subject matter expert. Guide us.”
I then listened as the server asked each of us, one by one, some questions about our preferences and inclinations. He described the 2 or 3 dishes he thought we would each like and helped us narrow our choices. In the process, we quickly established rapport and shared stories of travels around the world and languages spoken. We know our server has traveled abroad and has an aunt who only speaks Spanish. And, our meals were spot on. All three of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals.
I keep thinking about the entire exchange and the results. My uncle’s comment was a brilliant leadership move. He instilled confidence in our server, acknowledging his unique expertise. Our server engaged with us and each exchange extended the dialogue. We were building relationships and making decisions all at the same time. In turn, we trusted and followed his recommendations. The outcome was ideal: 3 delicious entrees and a memorable family evening. And the whole thing was efficient. It took just a matter of minutes to narrow the choices and make decisions.
I’m looking back on my year and asking myself how frequently I looked for the SME on any given topic we were working on in my department. There were moments when I think I did this. There were also many moments where I didn’t tap into the subject matter expertise of individuals in our school. Decisions were made on behalf of others, without consulting an SME. As I go in to the new school year, I am going to remember the benefits of working with an SME and see how I can incorporate it into my leadership more often.