Top ways to achieve software team potential
Staying at the top of the tech industry demands engineering managers make sure their software teams are bringing their A-game to the ground. We have collected the main ways that you can help your software team achieve its potential. The top seven ways are as follows:
Set SMART goals
Offer the right tools
Provide an open coding environment
Set metrics to track progress
Upskill your team
Appreciate the milestones
Promote a work-life balance
Set SMART goals
Each member of a dev team is brimming with potential. One of the key strategies to harness this potential is setting SMART goals—goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Engineering managers must utilize this approach as a managerial tool to provide clear direction and focus in achieving deliverables. This method not only boosts developer productivity but also fosters a sense of achievement among team members. Therefore, the goals are a powerful way to turn potential into performance. By setting goals that are well-defined and measurable, engineering managers make sure that each goal is attainable within the frames of a set deadline for the dev team member. For example, a SMART goal for the dev team can be to reduce the homepage load time by 15% in two days. All these specifics give a clear and defined idea to the dev team, which will help them focus their efforts on optimizing resources.
Offer the right tools
Another way engineering manager can empower software teams to their full potential is by making sure the dev team has all the right tools they require to complete their technical projects. Engineering managers can be assured that when their teams have the right set of tools and technologies, they will be performing their jobs in a more efficient manner and with an improved quality of work. For example, engineering managers can provide collaboration software such as Confluence that will allow different engineering teams to work effectively with each other. This enhances cross-team collaboration and brings clarity to project details. Engineering managers must strive to find the right tools that fit into their team’s workflow and also address any specific project needs. Some projects might necessitate adopting modern IDEs that streamline coding processes. Similarly, introducing a version control system like Git or Git Remote can prove a game-changer for dev teams because it facilitates better code review practices. Ultimately, it’s about creating a workspace where dev teams can focus more on solving complex problems rather than wrestling with inefficient processes or outdated tools. Dev teams must have all the right gadgets at their fingertips to turn their brilliant ideas into reality.
Provide an open coding environment
For dev teams, one of the more important secrets to unlocking their full potential is to have access to an open coding environment. Engineering managers must work toward creating a space where collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation are ingrained in their dev team’s daily operations. In an open coding environment, dev team members conduct reviews to share insights, suggest improvements, and collectively enhance the quality of their codebase. Additionally, managers must encourage their team to maintain an internal repository of best practices and code snippets that everyone contributes to and benefits from. This approach makes the coding process more inclusive and dynamic. Engineering managers can pair a junior developer with a senior developer so that the junior developer can do more than just get the tasks done and also learn about the best coding practices. Such an approach is also helpful in getting creative solutions to technical problems that would have otherwise been an issue.
Set metrics to track progress
Managing a dev team has its own challenges. One such challenge is checking the progress of each dev team member. One way to deal with this is by setting metrics to evaluate their performance. From the engineering competency matrix to other KPIs, there are numerous options available for engineering managers to evaluate their dev team. These metrics are reflections of the dev team’s progress, pinpointing areas where they excel and where opportunities need to be provided for them to improve. For example, for many developers, one such metric is the code quality metric, which assesses the number of bugs found in product production. Managers must regularly review these metrics with the dev teams so they are well aware of what standard their performance will be measured against. By setting and monitoring metrics, managers create a feedback loop, fostering a culture of transparency.
Upskill your team
Connected to the previous point of setting performance metrics is the necessity of upskilling in unlocking the full potential of software teams. Engineering managers must make a continuous effort to stay updated with the latest tech trends. They should work toward collaborating with the L&D teams to either upskill or reskill their tech teams, depending on their requirements. Additionally, engineering managers must encourage their team members to dedicate some time each week toward learning about new methodologies in the tech industry, whether that be a new programming language or even soft skills such as communication. This step is further improved by providing access to online courses and workshops. Upskilling dev teams results in improved productivity, team members applying new knowledge to optimize processes, and innovative solutions for complex technical problems. Investing in the upskilling of the software team has yielded remarkable dividends in terms of innovation, efficiency, and team morale. At DevPath, we offer a number of courses and skill paths for your dev teams.
Appreciate the milestones
As a manager, your job is not just to ensure tech project completion but also to manage dev teams. This aspect of managing entails making sure that your team members feel fulfilled in their roles. For this, engineering managers must strive toward taking the time to acknowledge and celebrate milestones, whether big or small. Though seemingly inconsequential, this is instrumental in maintaining high team morale and driving team progress in achieving deliverables. For example, wins can be as small as the completion of one project phase. Engineering managers could hold a party after concluding the design phase of a new feature for the product.
Promote a work-life balance
One of the many neglected areas of management is promoting a work-life balance. Most managers demand their teams work around the clock and fill in hours without realizing that it’s not about the number of hours on the desk but rather the quality of those hours. When the focus is on developer productivity, the hours spent in front of the screen don’t matter, it’s all about how efficiently the teams are managing their time to get work done. One useful approach that engineering managers can use is to offer flexible working hours or even the option of remote work to allow team members to work according to their different life patterns. This will also ensure that team members are able to fully recharge, which directly boosts their productivity. Moreover, managers should also conduct regular check-ins to make sure their dev teams aren’t overburdened with their workload because this can lead to burnout. By promoting a culture that values work-life balance, engineering managers can see a direct impact on the dev team’s motivation, job satisfaction, and, ultimately, their performance at work.
Final word
These are some of the major ways to help your software teams achieve potential. Which methods will work best for your team ultimately rests on numerous factors, such as the size of the team, the goals, and the overall company culture.
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