All joking aside, communication outside of technical groups is an area most developers need to fill. To begin with, understanding what problem needs solving and why it is a problem is a skill that needs to be honed. This understanding is crucial, as it helps us write better code and makes us more engaged and committed to the project. Effective communication connects us as a team, ensuring we all understand the problem and can work together to solve it.
We must code with a purpose. No purpose, no code. I once heard a business-oriented team lead to say, "We are not here to write code. We are here to sell stuff." The company had a higher purpose than that, which pulled coding even further away from the spotlight.
Understanding this higher purpose, the business goals, is crucial for developers. It gives our code meaning and makes our work more than just lines of text. Engaging with stakeholders and, even more importantly, understanding their needs is crucial to align with their goals. At times, these goals may require further exploration, and it's our responsibility to dive deeper into the conversation until their objectives are crystal clear.
Questions like, "What cloud solution are you aiming for?", "What tech stack best suits your needs?", "Should the button be orange or magenta?", and "Are we leaning towards Figma or Balsamiq?" are not the right ones. Not at this moment.
One developer may be introduced to Scrum by joining a team that meets daily to discuss what they did the previous day, while a long-tenured one is designated the Scrum Master. Both may not understand why the framework exists or what problems it solves, concluding that "scrum is not for us."
For developers, understanding the project's goals and planning to achieve them, both as a team and as individuals, is more than just writing code. It's about knowing when to write code, what engineering and people practices to follow, and caring for the quality of the solution we create to meet the product's goal, followed by the quality of the implementation. This journey of continuous learning and skill improvement keeps us motivated and inspired.
To practice the rudiments of complex skills, we break them down into small chunks and execute them in smaller steps for a faster feedback cycle, which enables faster learning and course correction. To that end, a two-week sprint on a real project may seem daunting when we have to deliver something at the end of the period.
What if we practice such skills during three sprints in three days? Is that too short? Let's add a project you knew very little about and a team of people you have just met. The team and its individuals quickly learn how good their estimation skills are (usually could be better), how to handle the mix of loud and quiet voices, and how to refine their collaboration to achieve their goals.
If this resonates or entices you, consider checking out our Applying Professional Scrum for Software Developers class.
