Ever researched something that you don’t yourself understand? No matter how hard you try?
Though most of my work has been with straight-up, average consumers, I do get the occasional something way out there. I also know that there are researchers who deal with this every day (poor things).
Since researchers tend to come from all over the place, this could mean dealing with medical devices if your degree is in psychology, accounting if your background is comp sci, nuclear engineering if you have a BA in English …
For me, ex tech writer that I am, it’s been a challenge on almost everything outside of that nice, cozy (mostly financial) consumer space. Personally, I’ve worked on stuff that might normally require an MBA, or 5 years in the insurance business, or a degree in statistics …
How to deal with it? I think the first thing is to admit to yourself that you won’t understand it all. I know that can be tempting, but I think it’s better to concentrate instead on your knowledge of research. Let that be your SME superpower.
Second, don’t try to cover up your ignorance. That can backfire, resulting in misunderstandings, embarrassment, and bad research results.
Ironically, it actually takes a fair amount of self-confidence to admit you don’t know anything. (In general, humility is another wonderful superpower to have.)
Finally, don’t beat around the bush. Just come right out and fess up. It’s really no biggie. In fact, it really helps in making it clear where everyone stands, getting you the info you ultimately need, and making the SME feel like a big-shot.
But, if you’re still worried about how you’ll come across, here’s another anonymous quote I found on the Interwebs: “Ignorance is lack of knowledge, not intelligence.” Indeed, you have to be pretty darn smart to be able to talk with the experts effectively. Just make sure you’re taking the right tack right from the get-go.
Where that last metaphor comes from (and, no, I don’t understand it at all)
