Steps to Effectively Communicate with Developers at your Workplace

One of the highest factors contributing to the successful completion of a project is efficient and effective communication with developers. Well-communication ensures that the team creates a phenomenal website or application. However, a project might be compromised if there’s a communication gap between parties.

It is not necessary that the message that is being conveyed will always be received in the same manner. The definition and importance of project requirements, their implementation, and the overall idea can be different for a project manager, lead, or developer. For example, a project manager may provide fewer hours for development without fully comprehending the project’s complexity. This produces conflict between the developers and the manager, resulting in compromised work.

There is no doubt in the fact that developers are the most important components of any business or organization. They are the company’s essence, without which it cannot thrive. If your communication mechanism fails with them, your company’s progress will be halted indefinitely. Otherwise, it will fail, resulting in a nightmare for your corporate infrastructure.

Bridging the communication gap between developers, team members, and managers may ensure that your project is completed on schedule and under budget. This also opens the door to improved cross-departmental relationships. Let’s have a look at some unique methods for ensuring effective communication with your developers.

1. A Thorough Research

You should know what you’re talking about while communicating with your developers. This may seem evident; nonetheless, you may underestimate its potency at times as the developers sure know the depth and detail of every project that they are working on. They understand the execution strategies better. Anyone from the outside lacking the expertise of a developer or simply technical expertise is recommended to interact with proficient developers only after conducting extensive research about the task.

When interacting with the developers, strive to obtain a thorough knowledge of the project’s goals. Discuss facts and express gratitude for their efforts for a more efficient and effective workflow that would evidently lead to results that are of top-notch quality. 

2. Setting Objectives

Once you’re certain of what you’re talking about, it’s time to meticulously document each step. A well-developed document that meticulously describes every element offers your engineers a clear roadmap of the project. The project’s uncomplicated methodology ensures quality completion within the time frame specified.

Developers like the process of documentation and value well-written documents that include specific objectives and methods. A copy will also help you out in every manner.

3. Communicate effectively

It’s critical to understand why you’re approaching a developer with a request. It is likely that you have contacted the respective person because the project lead wanted you to ask for an important modification. It is important to consider the significance of the change and how it will affect the website or application.

For example, you might request that your developer add a gleaming button. They’ll just laugh it off but if you clarify the requirement and make the statement less vague by saying that the gleaming button is required to increase visibility and accessibility for the audience, they will undoubtedly respect your request and make the requested modifications.

You must always construct a “why” to motivate the developer to complete the adjustments. If you cannot satisfy them, they will make it difficult for you to implement the modifications. So, every time, do your homework and figure out the “why.”

4. Be Clear

Clearer concepts are required to complete and finalize a project. As formerly stated, developers are significantly more concerned with specificity. The clearer the notion, the more comprehensive your explanations are.

For example, if you mention a flashy icon, the developer may envision something bright and glittering. Narrate using more appropriate and constructive language. Instead, tell them you want a bright button with a slight highlight surrounding it.

Make sure you’re incorporating simple terminology that makes sense to them. Try to be as specific as possible with concise and precise specifications. When you ask them to add a “flashy button,” be sure they understand what you mean.

5. Communicate with compassion

Your developers are entitled to the same respect and gratitude that you possess. They are humans, too, and should be regarded and addressed with dignity, kindness, and courtesy.

If you interact politely with them, they will be willing to work for you with devotion and determination. Remember that your tone of voice and behaviors speak louder than words and have a stronger influence on your work.

6. Be empathetic

Respect the timeline once you’ve well-documented the project goals and objectives and the developers have begun working on it. Never change the scope of a project without first alerting the developers. This may jeopardize the project’s execution.

However, if a modification in the project’s scope is necessary, discuss it with your developers. Hold casual meetings and inform participants about the prospect of changes. Notify them when the shift is expected, not when it ought to be done.

Give complete respect while interacting with developers to inform them about the adjustment. They have already invested in the idea, and sudden adjustments are often unsettling. As a result, make them feel at ease with your words.

Have you ever worked with a developer before? If you have, you may have noticed that you and your partner speak two different languages. You understand it most of the time, but there are moments when you don’t.

That’s perfectly normal and nothing to be embarrassed by. So, to assist you, here is a list of some common developer jargon you should be familiar with.

• Backend 
• Frontend 
• Full stack 
• DevOps 
• Frameworks 
• Bugs 
• API 
• UI/UX
• HTML
• CSS/CSS3
• Responsive web design 

Developers are worthy of respect, motivation, and gratitude for the challenging and crucial tasks they undertake. Even in the wildest dreams, a corporation cannot fathom its survival without the developers. When it comes to software or custom software development, they are the backbone. It will never be difficult to communicate with the developer in an efficient and effective manner. However, a little extra work will go a long way toward gratifying them as well as the project’s development phase. 

Contact our professionals at Intagleo today to discuss your unique software development requirements!