5 practical strategies to improve collaboration in software development
Collaboration in software development is the key to creating successful, innovative products, yet achieving it remains a significant challenge for most teams.
In fact, 86% of executives and business leaders believe that they can't make the most of their teams due to poor collaboration practices. It leaves only a few with practices that truly work—and there's much to learn from them.
I have had many conversations with developers on this topic, and one thing is clear: even small, practical changes can make a big difference in how teams work together. In this article, we’ll look at the common challenges software teams face and the simple steps you can take to improve collaboration.
But before that, let's understand how its collaboration in software development is different.
In fact, 86% of executives and business leaders believe that they can't make the most of their teams due to poor collaboration practices. It leaves only a few with practices that truly work—and there's much to learn from them.
I have had many conversations with developers on this topic, and one thing is clear: even small, practical changes can make a big difference in how teams work together. In this article, we’ll look at the common challenges software teams face and the simple steps you can take to improve collaboration.
But before that, let's understand how its collaboration in software development is different.
Content
What makes collaboration in software development unique?
It is a dynamic practice that is constantly evolving. It involves aligning diverse skill sets, tools, and workflows to achieve a shared vision. The following are what make collaboration in software development special:
- Cross-functional collaboration: Developers, designers, testers, project managers, and product managers must work together, often speaking "different languages" in terms of goals.
- Interdependencies: In software development, the tasks are highly dependent on each other. This interdependence makes constant real-time communication and coordination essential so that the impact of changes in one area does not affect the others.
- Real-time problem-solving: Software projects are highly iterative, constituting incremental improvements. This requires a sustained effort to keep track of everything and keep everybody aligned.
- CI/CD: The dynamic concept of constant integration and continuous deployment requires individuals to collaborate more often than in any traditional project setting.
- Heavy reliance on individual tools: From version control systems to design platforms, the tools every team member uses do not offer a structured flow of information and knowledge.
- Remote and asynchronous work: With hybrid and remote work environments becoming a priority across job seekers, staying aligned on a single goal with multiple dynamic elements poses difficulty.
Collaboration challenges in software development
Typically, a software development team consists of professionals from diverse roles – frontend developers, backend engineers, UX designers, QA testers, product managers, and more. Each role brings unique expertise but also unique yet fairly common challenges:
- Miscommunication: Miscommunication can occur easily when there are many handoffs between roles, leading to bottlenecks and delays in project timelines. For instance, a change in priority by a product manager may not be communicated effectively to developers, resulting in wasted effort or missed deadlines.
- Rapidly changing requirements: Unlike traditional projects, software development projects do not come with a clearly defined scope. In other words, the end goal might evolve over time, and hence, you might need more SMEs with different perspectives.
- Emotional dynamics: Developers often face high-pressure situations due to tight deadlines or complex project requirements. Unfortunately, this can sometimes result in conflicts regarding priorities.
- Asynchronous working time: With many software teams operating remotely or across different geographical locations, instant communication becomes a challenge. The lack of face-to-face interactions can hinder the ability to pick up on non-verbal cues, which are crucial for effective collaboration.
Strategies to improve collaboration in software development
Make collaboration a priority from the start
Collaboration exists naturally from the onset of any software development project. However, it may not be fully realised by everyone on the team. Initially, key stakeholders such as project managers, product owners, and business analysts often focus on their primary responsibilities, i.e., defining project goals and objectives. It can unintentionally create a difference between stakeholders and the development team. Avoid these mishaps right from the start. During the onboarding process and introductory meetings, go beyond backgrounds, skills, and interests. Encourage genuine interaction where team members can truly get to know each other through casual conversations. Talk about common hobbies or interests and establish a connection for open and effective discussions later in the project.
Prioritise communication
Software development is an inherently technical field, and the room for misunderstanding is wider than it is for any other type of project. A single instance of poor communication can lead to disastrous results down the development line when it's too late to mitigate the risk effectively. Therefore, a good communication channel is a top priority during the planning phase of any software development project. It includes setting up proper communication protocols and channels.
Furthermore, a dedicated channel to track and manage all the updates, feedback, and discussions can reduce the information slips and keep every stakeholder in sync. However, teams don't usually have enough time to update statuses as they happen. They can utilise digital platforms like project management and collaboration tools to automate these redundant processes and better use their cognitive efforts in writing and executing better code.
Structured knowledge-sharing practices
Knowledge sharing should be an integral part of any organisation for creating a collaboration-centred work culture. The software development industry, in particular, needs knowledge sharing as a fundamental process, as teams include hyper specialised engineers. Over time, the processes, tools, and ways of working start to evolve in different directions. This leads to an inadvertent side effect called knowledge silos.
The best way to deal with knowledge silos is to intentionally create opportunities for team members to openly talk about their work. Host weekly collaboration meetings where developers from different teams share the difficulties, approaches, and new solutions they have come across. In practice, this can include cross-team code walkthroughs, where team members explain their approach to problem-solving and technical show-and-tell with all the stakeholders' present. Morever, to make sure none of these efforts goes to waste, you can set up digital discussion boards to track and record these learning exchange sessions and discoveries in a well-organised, accessible manner.
Collaborative decision-making frameworks
Software development projects often include lively discussions and debates. However, sometimes, there's an unspoken pressure to agree with others, which is often misunderstood as collaborative decision-making. People naturally favour consensus, making it difficult for individuals to avoid the trap getting influenced by collective opinions or prevailing norms. This could be avoided by implementing a team-wide opinion gathering process. For instance, a "Request for Comments" (RFC) process for organisational and technical decisions. Every decision is followed by a structured discussion period where everyone is invited to raise their concerns and voice their opinions. Again, documenting not only the decisions made but all the alternative decisions and the rationale behind them can provide you with a great advantage down the road. Moreover, rotating the responsibilities for these sessions improves accountability and trust across team members.
Retrospectives and synchronisation rituals
Standard collaboration practices often fall short of nurturing effective collaboration among software development teams. Daily standups become status update meetings, sprint planning becomes top-down task assignment sessions, and retrospectives either turn into boring step-by-step checklist activities or unproductive parliament sessions of finger-pointing and blame games. The fault lies in our perception of these rituals. Instead of viewing them as means of reflection and continuous learning, teams tend to see them as endpoints to meet.
You can make these sessions more collaborative. Make standups interactive by asking team members to seek mixed perspectives on challenges rather than just reporting status. For sprint planning, you can ask team members to voice their concerns and opinions proactively. Simple changes, like rotating facilitation roles, incorporating pair programming discussions, or adding technical story-sharing segments, can breathe new life into these sessions and make them valuable touchpoints for team collaboration.
Collaboration exists naturally from the onset of any software development project. However, it may not be fully realised by everyone on the team. Initially, key stakeholders such as project managers, product owners, and business analysts often focus on their primary responsibilities, i.e., defining project goals and objectives. It can unintentionally create a difference between stakeholders and the development team. Avoid these mishaps right from the start. During the onboarding process and introductory meetings, go beyond backgrounds, skills, and interests. Encourage genuine interaction where team members can truly get to know each other through casual conversations. Talk about common hobbies or interests and establish a connection for open and effective discussions later in the project.
Prioritise communication
Software development is an inherently technical field, and the room for misunderstanding is wider than it is for any other type of project. A single instance of poor communication can lead to disastrous results down the development line when it's too late to mitigate the risk effectively. Therefore, a good communication channel is a top priority during the planning phase of any software development project. It includes setting up proper communication protocols and channels.
Furthermore, a dedicated channel to track and manage all the updates, feedback, and discussions can reduce the information slips and keep every stakeholder in sync. However, teams don't usually have enough time to update statuses as they happen. They can utilise digital platforms like project management and collaboration tools to automate these redundant processes and better use their cognitive efforts in writing and executing better code.
Structured knowledge-sharing practices
Knowledge sharing should be an integral part of any organisation for creating a collaboration-centred work culture. The software development industry, in particular, needs knowledge sharing as a fundamental process, as teams include hyper specialised engineers. Over time, the processes, tools, and ways of working start to evolve in different directions. This leads to an inadvertent side effect called knowledge silos.
The best way to deal with knowledge silos is to intentionally create opportunities for team members to openly talk about their work. Host weekly collaboration meetings where developers from different teams share the difficulties, approaches, and new solutions they have come across. In practice, this can include cross-team code walkthroughs, where team members explain their approach to problem-solving and technical show-and-tell with all the stakeholders' present. Morever, to make sure none of these efforts goes to waste, you can set up digital discussion boards to track and record these learning exchange sessions and discoveries in a well-organised, accessible manner.
Collaborative decision-making frameworks
Software development projects often include lively discussions and debates. However, sometimes, there's an unspoken pressure to agree with others, which is often misunderstood as collaborative decision-making. People naturally favour consensus, making it difficult for individuals to avoid the trap getting influenced by collective opinions or prevailing norms. This could be avoided by implementing a team-wide opinion gathering process. For instance, a "Request for Comments" (RFC) process for organisational and technical decisions. Every decision is followed by a structured discussion period where everyone is invited to raise their concerns and voice their opinions. Again, documenting not only the decisions made but all the alternative decisions and the rationale behind them can provide you with a great advantage down the road. Moreover, rotating the responsibilities for these sessions improves accountability and trust across team members.
Retrospectives and synchronisation rituals
Standard collaboration practices often fall short of nurturing effective collaboration among software development teams. Daily standups become status update meetings, sprint planning becomes top-down task assignment sessions, and retrospectives either turn into boring step-by-step checklist activities or unproductive parliament sessions of finger-pointing and blame games. The fault lies in our perception of these rituals. Instead of viewing them as means of reflection and continuous learning, teams tend to see them as endpoints to meet.
You can make these sessions more collaborative. Make standups interactive by asking team members to seek mixed perspectives on challenges rather than just reporting status. For sprint planning, you can ask team members to voice their concerns and opinions proactively. Simple changes, like rotating facilitation roles, incorporating pair programming discussions, or adding technical story-sharing segments, can breathe new life into these sessions and make them valuable touchpoints for team collaboration.
Final word
Collaboration needs frequent communication and knowledge sharing. Investing time in building systems and frameworks for both can save effort in the long run. Well-documented conversations and decisions can help developers move forward at a faster rate without fewer obstacles.
Author: Sandeep Kashyap, the visionary CEO of ProofHub, boasts over 25 years of IT industry experience. He's a recognized luminary known for innovation and agility. His contributions extend to project management insights and leadership, growth, and entrepreneurship. His practical expertise is evident in ProofHub's success. Recognized as a Top Leadership Voice on LinkedIn, Sandeep’s contributions provide invaluable insight for leaders and professionals seeking to create thriving workplaces.
Keywords: Project management, Software development