SME-to-Trainer Starter Kit

For experts asked to teach what they know: how to plan and run a training session, a complete filled-in facilitator guide to copy, and twelve activities designed for subject experts.

Who it is for

• Subject experts (senior technicians, lead cooks, bookkeepers, experienced staff) asked to train others for the first time.

• Managers and shift leads who need their best people to pass on what they know.

• Business owners who want onboarding and skills training delivered the same way every time.

• HR and training professionals who support experts in delivering training.

The problem it solves

The person who knows the work best is not always the person who can teach it. Experts skip steps that feel obvious, use the terms of their trade, demonstrate too fast and try to teach everything at once. This kit shows an expert how to plan around what learners must be able to do, leave out what they do not need yet, explain and demonstrate clearly, run practice and give feedback, handle questions and nerves, and check that learning worked on the job. A complete 45-minute facilitator guide from an appliance repair company shows exactly what a finished plan looks like.

What is inside

SME-to-Trainer Starter Kit (PDF, 25 pages)

• Copyright and License, contents and how to use the kit (2 pages)

• What changes when you teach what you know (1 page)

• Writing learning goals, and deciding what to leave out (2 pages)

• A six-part shape for any session, with timings for 30 to 90 minutes (1 page)

• Explaining clearly, with a before-and-after example (1 page)

• Demonstrating a task, with the KA four-step method for on-the-job training (1 page)

• Running practice and giving feedback (1 page)

• Asking and answering questions (1 page)

• Nerves, the room and six difficult moments (1 page)

• Teaching online, checking learning and following up (1 page)

• Session planner and facilitator guide templates (2 pages)

• A complete 45-minute filled-in facilitator guide with SAY, DO, ASK and WAIT cues, notes and an online version (4 pages)

• Practice observation sheet and self-review (1 page)

• Activity chooser and twelve activities for subject experts, each with steps, debrief questions, settings and what to watch for (4 pages)

• One-week preparation plan and common mistakes (1 page)

SME-to-Trainer Templates (Word, 12 pages): session planner, six-part facilitator guide template, practice observation sheet, self-review and the full filled-in facilitator guide, ready to edit.

How to use it

1. Read the guide pages in order (about 45 minutes).

2. Plan your session with the session planner.

3. Write your facilitator guide, using the filled-in example as a model.

4. Choose one or two activities, then follow the one-week preparation plan.

Formats and file types

• PDF (US Letter, print or screen), 25 pages

• Word document (.docx), 12 pages, opens in most word processors

• Licensed for use within your organization

Frequently asked questions