Last updated on September 8th, 2022.
When you look for a software outsourcing partner, what do you look at first? Their portfolio? Technologies they use? Years of experience? Developer seniority level?
Let me break it to you — technical skills alone won’t make the project a success. You need a cohesive and empowered team to take your product to new heights.
Now you know what the number one priority is. But how can you know the company of your choice promotes team unity and helps team members develop to their full potential?
Personality Matters
For starters, get to know as much as you can about the team formation stage. Ask questions. Take part in group meetings. Observe how engineers interact with each other.
The personality and behavioural style of your contractors do matter.
Think about an orchestra. All musicians need to strike the right notes so they master their skills individually. They also need to learn how to play together to perform a symphony. Each opus requires specific musical instruments. As if all that weren’t enough, some instruments don’t go well together. Composers need to combine the right sounds to create a masterpiece.
You can observe the same dependencies in a project team.
All members need to know their craft and join forces for a common goal. Their personality types should work together in perfect harmony — just like instrument types in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. You want them to collaborate efficiently not only on a technical but also on a personal level.
Now, who can make sure it happens? The vendor project manager or scrum master. So let software agencies choose the people for your project. And make sure you know what the criteria are.
Evojam makes it a priority to have a say in team composition. We decide on the project members in the early stages of the process. We consider their skills, behavioural style, project duration, client type… All of this is to find the best fit for you and your idea.
Power to the People
So you found your dream team. Its members fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The question is: How to unlock their potential?
To put it short, get them on the same page and trust their judgment.
First, ensure mutual understanding.
Evojam starts every cooperation with a kickoff meeting to get to know the client. We discuss the inspiration behind the idea, long-term business goals, and product requirements. This talk helps us set the product development framework.
If it’s not on the menu, ask the vendor of your choice to organize an introductory meeting for all the people involved. Be clear about your expectations and project scope. Join group discussions and brainstorming sessions. Be prepared to go into details.
When both sides are in tune with each other, it’s time to start playing second fiddle.
Don’t call all the shots. Give your contractors some credit.
That said, remember to check who is the decisive person on their side. The best answer you can get is engineers.
At Evojam, we exercise servant leadership — we shift the focus onto the team.
Team members make big decisions. Project managers are coaches and facilitators rather than dictators. Their main role is to help the team reach a consensus. And communicate the decision to the client.
This way, developers can use their technical expertise. And feel more responsible for the final outcome in consequence.
Software development companies that put engineers in charge show how much they value and trust their employees. If they believe in them, so can you!
Wanted: Adaptability
At this point, you can tell whether the project team is united and trustworthy.
But what happens when there’s a mid-project change in team composition?
It depends on how your contractor reacts.
You might expect that adding manpower always speeds up project delivery, so there is no problem. This couldn’t be further from the truth – take Fred Brooks’s word for it.
According to Brooks’s Law, late changes disrupt team harmony and slow production down. The upgraded team needs to start from scratch – by going through the 5 team-building phases (see the picture below).
Imagine you want to learn to play the piano.
You need to study individual notes. Once you know your keys, you move to a sequence of notes. Then to piano octaves. Then to piano chords... Finally, you’re ready to add in improvisation or even play by ear. What if you decide to skip the basics but perform anyway? You won’t be drawing large crowds to your recital anytime soon.
It’s the same with teams – they need to be developed step by step.
Skipping even one phase hinders team effectiveness!
The fast-paced environment we operate in requires us to make changes on the fly. At Evojam, we have the technical know-how for such scenarios. Our project managers can move a team smoothly through the stages of team development.
See how the software vendor you work with handles this process. Do they accept the need for it? Do the remaining team members have time to rethink and adjust their responsibilities? Does the project manager help them get back on track?
Pay close attention to your contractor’s adaptability. You might need to add or cut some resources at one point. You want your partners to be ready for such modifications. You want to trust them to behave accordingly.
