Modern Approaches to Complex IT Development: Sorting Out Team Communications

Sharing with you an insightful article by a seasoned software engineer and tech enthusiast Alex Babin.

Amidst the rapidly changing IT landscape, development teams are vulnerable to a plethora of pain points such as miscommunication, budget and time limitations, or struggling to keep up with the ever-changing business requirements. On a daily basis, CTOs, CIOs, and line managers are facing numerous challenges that come with complex IT development. 

Yet, tapping into modern approaches and strategies can provide sustainable guidance in this sometimes chaotic landscape. In this series of articles, I'll examine the most pressing issues in complex IT development right now and, drawing upon my experience as an IT expert, will provide some actionable tips on how to tackle these challenges with confidence. 

I’ll start with a brief overview of high-level factors that can have a big impact on the overall success of a project and then address the first one, namely, team communications, in more detail.

What factors are crucial to a successful IT project?

While working with multiple clients on various IT projects, from adopting new tools or technologies to the digital transformation of an entire business, it has become clear to me that most issues teams face on a regular basis boil down to three core factors. Let’s just briefly touch upon them, and later in the article, I’ll address each one in more detail. 

First off, it’s widely known that effective communication and collaboration among team members, stakeholders, and clients are indispensable for software development. Still, in the real world, lack of transparency or miscommunication rooted in a non-optimal organizational structure is a common issue. What’s interesting is that quite often, inefficient communication patterns stem from the top down—but that’s also a way to introduce improvements.

Another important factor to consider is dealing with the increasing complexity of IT processes and infrastructure. As IT businesses evolve, sooner or later they come to a point where the system’s complexity might hamper further advancement. While 10-15 years ago, a typical software development workflow consisted of only a few stages (requirements, design, implementation, testing and maintenance), today’s process of IT product delivery is much more complicated—and the same is true for tools and technologies involved.

Technologies and tools for different stages of the IT product lifecycle. Source

Most of these solutions have been introduced in recent years to cut down on manual labor. Still, an extensive technological stack requires regular maintenance and upgrades. When there’s no sustainable framework for scaling and updating such systems, there’s a danger of being overwhelmed by technical debt. 

Finally, skillfully leveraging business requirements with production capabilities and affordable resources is of utmost importance for successfully launching and maintaining complex IT projects. Unelaborate or constantly changing project requirements or, most crucially, goals can lead to confusion, rework, and delays in the software development process. Proper planning, clear requirements and fixed objectives are rare but essential components for a successful project outcome.

Let’s now have a more detailed look into common challenges IT teams face and suggest possible solutions.

Sorting out team communications

According to the survey on communication barriers in the modern workplace conveyed by The Economist, 44% of respondents point out that miscommunication has caused a delay or failure to complete projects. 

As I’ve witnessed multiple projects going astray because of miscommunication, I’m now convinced that effective team interaction is the backbone of any successful IT project, while its absence can lead to a whole bunch of problems. I’d group common communication issues into three big categories, namely:

1. Communication between business executives and the IT team

Business executives and IT professionals are always operating out of different contexts and view things from different perspectives, which might lead to various communication issues. 

For example, they might use certain terms such as “urgent” or “technically advanced” differently, according to their habitual modus operandi. These discrepancies can result in unmet expectations and hinder the progress of the project. Another common issue here is convincing executive teams and other stakeholders of the value of IT investments.

2. Communication among departments/teams 

When departments within an organization operate in silos, focusing on individual goals and KPIs, fostering a unified vision becomes difficult. Oftentimes, different teams’ objectives can interfere or even contradict each other—e.g. developers aim at quick project rollout while testers strive to find as many bugs as possible and thus postpone the release. This lack of cohesion can lead to conflicts and hamper collaboration, as departments may prioritize their objectives over the project's overall success.

3. Communication within one team or department

Trust between managers and team members is crucial for a healthy and productive work environment. A study conducted by the Ken Blanchard Companies found that 45% of employees reported a lack of trust in their leadership. Team members who do not trust their manager might be reluctant to share ideas or voice concerns, resulting in a work atmosphere that hinders creativity. 

Tips and recommendations

• Develop a more transparent and friendly corporate culture: for instance, inspire employees to ask questions and seek to understand different perspectives, rather than making assumptions. This mindset promotes open dialogue and helps to break down communication barriers. 
• Offer employees learning opportunities to upgrade their communication skills. Provide access to resources that help employees communicate more efficiently, such as workshops, webinars, or even books and articles on effective communication techniques.
• Unify the team around shared goals by clarifying the organization's vision and ensuring that departmental goals contribute to the bigger picture. This helps create a sense of unity and shared purpose, even when teams have different tasks and responsibilities.
• Rearrange the structural organization of teams or departments so that it’s more conducive to efficient collaboration. For example, you can consider restructuring functional teams (e.g., designers, developers, testers) into project-specific/cross-functional teams, each covering the entire project scope. 
• Bridge the gap between business and IT executives by introducing cross-functionality at the executive level and robust management methodologies such as domain-driven design (DDD). These measures can help develop a common vocabulary and conduct strategic planning and brainstorming sessions in a more transparent and effective manner.
• Make communication more personal to tackle the issue of insufficient trust between managers and team members. Encourage face-to-face interactions, video calls, or even virtual coffee breaks. Personal connections can bridge gaps between departments and create stronger bonds among team members. As recent research shows, 69% of employees would work more efficiently if they received more feedback and appreciation from their employers.

Final thoughts

Today, we’ve outlined crucial factors for a project’s success and discussed common communication issues that can hamper IT teams in their daily work as well as suggested possible solutions. In the next article, I’ll elaborate on dealing with complex business requirements, including project specifications, scope creep and understanding the larger business context. Stay tuned!