Subject Matter Idiots

I was in yet another conversation, with yet another colleague, as we discussed the value of having someone who is not close to the process, to be on the investigative team. He is a Six Sigma Black Belt and told me that his group called these people SMIs. Like a goof, I asked what an SMI was and he responded, "Subject Matter Idiots."

We had a good laugh, but his point is well made. You want someone who knows nothing about the process being investigated. They are not afraid to ask questions that won't be asked by people who, because of their expertise, may not consider the question at all. Not because they are above the question, but because they are too close to the process, for the question to even be on their radar screen.

I like to think of this concept as a painting by Claude Monet, credited with starting the "Impressionist" era in art during the late 19th century. Monet used textured "dobs" of paint to create an impression of what was seen by the observer of the painting. Consider his work, "Sunflowers", a famous still of sunflowers in a vase on a table. If you were to get as close at this work as you physically could and look at it, all you would see were "dobs" of oil paint in rich yellows and oranges, with some greens, which made no apparent sense at all. But as you stand back, you can see the collection of color swaths come together to make sense of something meaningful to the eye of the observer.

Investigations are similar. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are too close to the process. Whereas an SME cannot see the broader view because of their Cognitive Myopathy, an SMI has no Cognitive Myopathy. Without such a filter, there are no rules and anything, or any question, is fair game.

I have been involved with investigations where SMIs took the investigation down the path to true Root Cause by asking the "why" questions no one else could see.

When you need a fresh perspective, don't be afraid to leverage a Subject Matter Idiot.