I'm a software developer by passion. I've had the privilege of leading development teams over my decade-plus career. Everyone tends to focus on the coding, technical aspects, and building software to be proud of. All these are vital but can be optimized with proper teamwork and collaboration. Experience has taught me how to instill true teamwork.
This is what worked for me and my team.
Shared Goals and Objectives
I have morning meetings with my developers. It's of extreme importance to keep these meetings as short as possible. We keep these meetings capped at 10 minutes. This means that only (10*5=50) minutes of productivity is "wasted" coordinating. It means if we save 1 person 1 hour a day it is a win. A lot of businesses do 30-minute meetings as standard, and that would be very wasteful.
We avoid unnecessary meetings. We like keeping things simple with our ten-minute morning meetings. The best way to keep things moving for us is to give responsibility to my developers. Each is responsible for their tasks and figuring out how they'll handle them. Everyone can reach out and seek assistance where they need help. We try to specialize and give ownership. We primarily utilize asynchronous communication using VideoFeedbackr where it's needed. This is our fun and efficient spin on making Loom better. You can try it for free. We have a dedicated Jitsi server for synchronous meetings. We use it when asynchronous communication cannot suffice. It is awesome and gives us one room to hold our meetings. It is a virtual home that doesn't need new URLs for new log-ins. I have written an article that dives deeper into this topic.
Read: 7 Tips for Effective Communication in Remote Teams
Collaborative Teamwork
Our team's goals remain the priority during development. This was the case when we were developing Goleko. Goleko was a massive undertaking for me and my developers. It necessitated trust, open discussions, innovation, and resolve from every team member. We worked together in every step to its fulfillment. We broke the lines between the teams. There wasn't a back-end or front-end team. We handled our tasks together with active contributions from each other.
This strategy proved to be amazing as we saw the pitching of innovative ideas from my team members. Everyone was professional and respectful of the ideas that were pitched. We communicated crucial feedback and helped each other where help was needed. Collaborative teamwork ensured that everyone was on the same page. No one was left behind during this process and this enhanced our productivity. People can manage their projects better using Goleko. This is due to everyone treating each other as teammates during development. We've kept this approach in other developments we've made. It is a team approach that serves us well and ensures we keep producing at a high level. I have written an article showcasing how team members can collaborate.
Read: Feedback with Asynchronous Video: Productivity with Screen Recording!
Empowered and Autonomous Developers
I have empowered my developers to work autonomously. My developers are qualified enough to work well without supervision. They have created a seamless collaborative approach with each other. They communicate their perspectives with each other, offer supportive feedback, and work closely to produce quality software. I receive updates on the progress of the developments. I give input on major choices we need to make. They handle everything in the team. I've encouraged this type of autonomy throughout the team. It keeps us moving forward without any hitches or delays.
This autonomy has allowed my developers to express themselves in the projects. They take full ownership and use our team's intent to achieve the goals. They contribute innovative ideas and value to the design and development. Every developer on my team has our standard operating procedures (SOPs). They know how we do stuff. My developers have taken the initiative, especially when maintaining our products and services. They are exceptional at this and have handled complex projects associated with it. They have delivered good and robust solutions to some of the errors our products experienced. Their communication skills with each other have continuously developed, enhancing their teamwork.
I'm a firm believer that autonomy enhances effective teamwork. It has brought everyone on my team closer. They actively seek each other's help and contribution to achieve our goals and objectives. I have written an article that can help ou empower your developers to create beautiful software.
Read: Software Developers Can Build Beautiful Software
Open Communication and Feedback
I have mentioned our communication principles when discussing our shared goals and objectives. One aspect of our teamwork lies in how we give and receive feedback. We use VideoFeedbackr to offer feedback on our tasks and projects. We are a cohesive team that desires excellence above everything else. We demonstrate this in the constant evaluations we do for our projects. All feedback is designed to strengthen our handle on the projects.
Everyone is free to give feedback to help improve the projects. All feedback given is taken positively by all team members. This enables us to identify areas that need improvement and engineer workable solutions to complete our projects on time. Receiving feedback doesn't mean you're failing. It is to help you improve the project, which is the point of our team collaboration.
VideoFeedbackr has helped us improve our software projects. We provide feedback hassle-free. This has helped us design creative solutions to many issues we faced. Progress is impossible without proper feedback. Our goal remains our focal point in everything we do. We don't have egos in our team. Everyone is hungry for us to achieve our desired goals. The feedback comes from a place of love and desire to succeed. This common mindset has improved the teamwork in my entire team, let alone the software development team. This relentless pursuit ensures we take all feedback correctly and implement it for the better of our team. It is an attribute I'm very proud of.
Celebrating Successes and Learning from Failures
Software engineering is a team sport. You can work alone and succeed but working with others greatly improves your chances. I make it a point to congratulate and acknowledge each time all my team members do a great job. They work hard and give everything to their craft. I'm the first to point out what they did and give them the props they deserve. This has cultivated an environment where they can freely contribute their ideas and work on implementing them.
Conversely, I promote the principle of learning from your mistakes within the team. Castigating and berating are strategies I do not comply with in my team. Failures and mistakes teach us the most important lessons in anything we do. I give chances and leeway to my team members as I know they learn from each failure and mistake. The skills they learn from their mistakes make them better. This translates into our overall team performance. Growth is possible through mistakes and overcoming your failures. This is how my developers and writer have found their strength in their responsibilities and work.
Doing both has helped me keep my team together and better engaged in their work. It is a wonderful feeling to see everyone willingly contribute to the team. We celebrate and grow together. It is a wonderful environment we've built. We're seeing continued benefits from it.
Takeaway
Teamwork is an essential component of any software development team. It helps teams accomplish their tasks, goals, and objectives. You can enhance your teamwork skills by incorporating principles like open communication, timely feedback, support, and cultivating a learning environment. True teamwork can be the difference between good and great. Two heads are better than as they say. Collaboration can be the final piece to move your venture to its proper heights. Consider adopting it. You might see the output you always desired.
FAQs
Why is teamwork important in software development?
Teamwork makes all tasks and activities easier to handle. Working together gives you a better chance to succeed in whatever you're working on. It improves mood, accuracy, and efficiency. It's just like the saying goes. A problem shared is half solved.
How can we enhance collaboration in software teams?
You can enhance collaboration by implementing principles that promote collaboration. Implement the use of open communication, proper feedback, cross-function collaboration, and a nurturing environment. This will take time to root but will give you the best outcome when set.
What skills are needed to enhance collaboration?
You don't need specific skills to enhance it. Everyone needs to be willing enough to be a part of the team and system. This willingness is what makes it possible for collaboration to take place. Everyone should commit to the set plans and the goals of collaboration will be achieved.
What are the benefits of collaboration in software development teams?
You get things done efficiently. This is the biggest benefit of collaboration in software development. Other benefits are better learning, fewer mistakes, and more time to improve the software and skills. Teamwork and collaboration have a lot of benefits to offer.
For these and more thoughts, guides, and insights visit my blog at martinbaun.com.
You can find me on YouTube.
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