So you’ve got a team of software developers. Maybe you’re a brand-new leader full of hopeful ambition, or perhaps this isn’t your first rodeo. Either way, your team’s productivity is top of mind. The group is already working on several apps, but plenty more projects will be coming down the pike.
Unfortunately, productivity loss can creep in at the individual contributor or team levels, and it’s up to leaders to figure out why. While bringing more developers on board might seem like an easy fix, this usually only heightens existing problems. Additional team members mean more people will find themselves following poor processes or discovering symptoms of low morale.
Assuring your team that ramped-up output is “right around the corner” will sound like empty cheerleading. Without concrete changes, words don’t hold any meaning for employees. To root out inefficiencies, you have to take a hard look at structures, tools, processes, and cultures. Below are four methods to increase productivity within software teams.
1. Implement Project Management Processes and Tools
If you’ve ever tried to shop without a list, you know how disorganized this simple task can get. You end up randomly walking down aisles, trying to recall what you need and what’s in your pantry at home. By the time you leave the store, you’ve exceeded your budget and forgotten an important item or two.
The same kind of disorder happens when software developers work under a lack of structure. Each team member’s tasks become isolated from their colleagues’ efforts and the project as a whole. Some developers may even lose sight of what they need to accomplish and why.
Project management provides leadership and structure so everyone is working toward the same objectives. Software project management turns that leadership and structure up a notch. It embraces centralized tools to help you and your team plan, organize tasks, track progress, and allocate resources. These activities are done for each project to encourage transparent collaboration. No one is left out of the loop or at a loss for what to do.
2. Eliminate as Many Distractions as Possible
Most office environments produce distractions. But it’s open office plans that can be especially problematic for software developers. Any work that requires a lot of focus and attention to detail is difficult to do when there’s noise. Interruptions from well-meaning colleagues and managers don’t help either, and they occur every three to 11 minutes on average.
Distractions are more than a minor annoyance to brush aside, as they can lead to lower-quality results. There may also be days when the team doesn’t make much progress because of too many disturbances. Opting for private offices and noise-canceling headphones helps, but they’re not complete solutions to the problem.
Interruptions and distractions also come from the way the group communicates. Haphazard and impromptu meetings can be extremely disruptive and throw team members off course. If you regularly spring last-minute meeting requests on the group, it may take them hours to refocus on critical tasks. In addition, you’ve just given them more to think or become concerned about.
When there isn’t a clear strategy or connection with current projects, those meetings are probably a waste of time. Try designating specific time slots or days for meetings versus work and project collaboration time. Also, encourage team members to use group discussion and centralized communication tools to provide feedback and raise questions. This can help prevent individual staff members from being bombarded with emails, instant messages, and side conversations.
3. Define Expectations
A popular quote from “The Little Prince” states that “a goal without a plan is just a wish.” If you don’t define your objectives and how to get there, you’ll have a hard time accomplishing them. In other words, your team needs to know what’s expected of them.
You should help set goals and expectations for the group and each developer. Make sure, however, not to shut them out of the process. Ask probing and clarifying questions to help guide staff instead of handing down directives. When employees have a say in what impacts their work and careers, they’re more likely to be engaged — and productive.
Individual goal-setting could entail a newbie mastering a certain coding language or a senior developer taking the lead on a project. Group objectives and expectations might include shortening development times by 15 days or performing more rigorous testing to improve quality. To prevent discrepancies between final products and client needs, the team may also set expectations around involving more stakeholders.
4. Build a Collaborative Culture
A collaborative culture can mitigate some of the more well-known barriers to productivity, such as workplace silos. Employees sometimes become stuck in an “us vs. them” mentality because of conflicting priorities and perspectives. When team members have different responsibilities and skill levels, they may form incorrect assumptions about co-workers’ intentions.
Encouraging and building a collaborative culture takes time and cooperation from all employees, regardless of position or hierarchical level. The longer workplace silos have existed, the more critical it is to get everyone’s buy-in on your culture-changing efforts. You might not change minds within a week, but you can start putting collaborative practices into place.
Examples include mentoring partnerships, group work sessions, and consensus-building exercises. In consensus-building, staff members attempt to resolve disagreements by taking turns serving as facilitators and note-takers. Everyone gets a turn to express their point of view. The group then decides what’s most important or the best way to approach the issue. Teams learn the importance of making group decisions based on comprehensive, well-rounded information.
Conclusion
Learning how to increase a software team’s output is a challenge all leaders face. Group dynamics and the nature of software development work can create barriers and inefficiencies. But with a combination of structure, focus, goal-setting, and consensus-building, it’s possible to establish processes that support productivity. The results you and your team will see are worth the effort.