What is the function of the subject matter expert (SME) on a project? As the title suggests, his or her responsibility is to be an expert on the topic at hand; he or she must know more about that topic than even the most knowledgeable project manager.
I was reminded of the power of SMEs while listening to an episode of “The Stuff You Missed in History Class.” The episode was titled called “How the Titanic Worked.” One wonders if the SMEs failed during the design and construction of the Titanic and whether their failure necessarily led to its sinking.
Here are some key facts from the podcast:
- Safety equipment was removed to make the decks more “airy.”
- The number of lifeboats required by the Board of Trade was not adjusted to account for the unprecedented size of the ship. None of the Titanic’s SMEs moved to correct this oversight.
- Steel of inferior strength was used to save on construction costs.
- The ship’s rudder was smaller than a ship of that size needed.
- The communications technology was so new that other ships could not understand the distress calls (talk about stakeholder ignorance!).
- The ship was not tested before its maiden voyage. (an outrageous omission if ever there was one).
- The crew was not trained to understand the ship’s new features. Considering the unprecedented size of the ship, this was a huge oversight.
Which of these factors was the chief cause of the sinking of the Tiantic? You be the judge. In the meantime, take a moment to appreciate your most responsive and integrity-focused SMEs.
