Don't Have a Team of Instructional Designers? NO PROBLEM

You may be in the same situation as me. You are a one-person training department with zero to minimal budget. You have so much training material to develop that it'll take forever for one person to do it. It's almost unreasonable! Luckily, I have a solution... utilize your subject matter experts to write material. 

I'm not saying that SMEs can replace instructional designers. They are a good resource to utilize if you don't have the bandwidth. You will have to manage your SMEs as a project manager to ensure the content caters to adult learners. 

Here are a few tips:

1. Set the expectations upfront. Inform the SMEs of their responsibilities, timelines and tasks. You'll play the role of the project manager. Set the expectations of the deliverables, provide feedback and review their documents carefully. 
2. Train them on writing for adult learners. Many people create presentations and call it training. Educate your SMEs on how to maximize their training and ensure it provides plenty of application. 
3. Create the outline for your SMEs. You're creating the structure and method with this approach. Your SMEs are responsible for filling in the necessary information. 
4. Be comfortable saying "no." Your SMEs will take a lot of pride in their work. Sometimes they will add too much information or content may sound unclear. Your SMEs may be defensive when you suggest changes. Be prepared for some resistance. Emphasize that your goal is to help the learner. 

Sometimes having your SMEs write the material can create more work for you. Especially if it is the first time the SME is writing for you. Start small with one or two projects to gauge the amount of work required. From there, you can assess if you'd like to take on more.