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Getting on the Same Page: Improving Your Communication Skills as a Software Developer

by Ayoub AbidiSeptember 13th, 2023

Too Long; Didn't Read

The importance of communication in software development might not be direct or obvious. Here, we break down the benefits of improving your communication skills.

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Why you should improve your communication skills

The importance of communication in software development might not be direct or obvious. Here, we break down the benefits of improving your communication skills.

Competetive Advantage

Basically, most software engineers are experts at technical skills, but a small percentage of them focus on developing their communication skills. Possessing effective communication skills can act as a key differentiator and boost your value in the software engineering talent market.

Sure, everyone is looking to be a 10x developer, but the reality is not every one of them will have the opportunity to be a tech lead or a manager if he can’t communicate effectively with his team.
Connecting with your teammates and recruiters

Effective communication skills can help your network build wide connections within the software engineering community. This can help you access information on the latest trends and technologies in the industry, interesting projects that leading tech companies are working on, and learn about different job opportunities.

Applications nowadays are processed through online media. Effective written communication skills can help you connect better with recruiters.

It can also help you develop fruitful relationships with recruiters and persons of influence at tech companies that could lead to referrals and help you land interviews.
Reduces Errors and Increases Efficiency/Saves Time and Increases Productivity

Effective communication eliminates communication barriers, allowing information to flow easily and smoothly. With improved understanding and clarity, software engineers can make informed decisions and perform tasks with fewer errors. This improves the overall efficiency of processes and projects.

Therefore, access to those pieces of information allows software engineers to perform their tasks in a timely manner. Proper communication of client, product, or project requirements enables software engineers to develop code quickly.

How Can You Communicate Effectively as a Software Engineer?

Have a Purpose and be clear.

Whether informal or formal, communication without a clear reason or desired outcome can be a major time buster.

Communication with clear cause and effect can enhance productivity and clarity, but it also helps build your image as a knowledgeable, focused engineer.

The right tone will enhance the clarity of communication. Project delays or difficult clients are situations where your emotions can affect your tone of voice.

Of course, there are ways to maintain clarity, like using calendars, writing detailed tickets (trust me on this one; this will save your life), asking for clarification, confirming that you’ve been heard and understood, and being mindful of communication gaps.
Listen Actively

Talking is only half of the equation of communication. It’s a continuous flow of sending and receiving information.

You need to listen to what customers or clients need so the flow of problem-solving, requirements analysis, and system design can run correctly, and you can avoid losing precious time and patience.

Understanding others’ views will help you interact with them better, thereby helping you to have more successful relationships.
Be Humble, Respectful, and Approachable

Adopting a respectful tone and acknowledging differences with the view to finding a solution is an effective way to make yourself heard and get your message across. Effective communication is all about communicating with humility and being approachable.

Sometimes, you may find it challenging to approach others. However, you can be open and receptive to communication. This will help build relations. It will encourage more people to share information with you and make others more receptive to the communication you send.

Easy access to information will help you perform your tasks better and identify new opportunities.

Time and place are always important.

You must communicate at a time that will fulfill the purpose of your communication. This will engage your audience and get your message across better.

The urgency of your communication will also influence your choice of the communication channel. For example, if a teammate requires information immediately, you talk to them in person while an idea can be jotted on a shared whiteboard.

When working remotely, audio-visual communication can be more effective than in-person meetings. While video calling may seem a natural substitute for face-to-face interaction, it suffers from being private. Because everyone’s in their own house, there is no chance for the team to overhear conversations and any insights generated can’t be diffused to the rest of the team.

Instead, team members should use communication spaces where the whole team is present, such as Slack channels, even for things that they might normally do on a one-to-one basis, simply because not every exchange of information should be in a meeting (that would be a waste of time).

Depending on the level of formality, you will want to consider official channels of communication or informal interactions. Ensure you’re familiar with and in line with your organization’s communication systems and the company’s communication culture.
Be brief

Good communication does not mean more communication. In many cases, quality over quantity is the key. We all have a variety of communication channels to manage these days, and the clearer you can be with fewer words, the more you will often be appreciated by the recipient. You should aim to say fewer things without losing the impactful point of the message, and that’s not easy.
Write Documentation

Yeah, I know, now I sound like a boomer 😁 but yeah, actually writing some documentation will provide you with an excellent and free written communication exercise.

As a software developer working in a team, there will be many opportunities to write some required documentation.

This will save you time since there are always some questions that different parts from the client side or your team will ask.