Five tactics for streamlining the efficiency of your develpoment cycle

Pay credit where it’s due

It may sound like an obvious management element…but i’m constantly surprised by the blatant lack of respect or appreciation for a job well done.  Although they may be seen as developers, programmers, writers, managers, representatives, etc…in reality…they’re people…people you’re managing…and people get frustrated when they go out of their way to do something productive and don’t get any recognition.  Not to make too much of a reference to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs or anything…but the bottom line is simple: if someone does a good job…let them know! Be appreciative.  Express how impressed you were with their initiative. The more time you take, as a manager, to keep your development staff’s morale at peak levels, to set benchmarks and rewards – the more effective your team will be.

As a former agency employee….I can attest to the validity of positive reinforcement. Recognition, expressed in the right way…can make all the difference in productivity…whereas making demands, displays of “dominance”, and condescending attitudes might just get your car burned to the ground.

Be proactive in identifying when mistakes are being made

It’s not always easy to be assertive with a development team.  You don’t want to piss off a programmer and you certainly don’t want to be a controlling, dominating, prick (no one respects that). Although marketing may want something done one way, while compliance mandates it be carried out another…whatever the case may be, an effective and efficient approach to identifying junctions which send a project’s development astray is critical.  If two designers are bickering – stop them…find a compromise. If a programmer disagrees with the way functionality for a site element is being implemented…find out why and figure out if they’re right. If project managers start to bicker…help them find focus and the most practical course forward.  There’s always a solution…and it start with identifying the problem as clearly, concisely, and comprehensively as possible.

Get feedback from management resources outside of the project

I’ve witnessed disorganization at the Fortune 1000 level and flawless efficiency in the small business world. I’ve also seen an entire spectrum of epic failures and dazzling successes in web development.  But none of my experience, lessons learned, or trials from previous ventures have helped me learn as much about management as my mentors did.  Listening to people who’ve had lifetime’s of experience  in a broad marketing sector, reading books from strategic titans, and taking lessons from visionary entrepreneurs have helped me make intelligent decisions at difficult points in project management.

An ecclectic sense of management style, tactful communication abilities, and amiable personalities can help define your business acumen…and sometimes…it takes an outside perspective to bring clarity.  Being intimately tied to the successful implementation of a project blinds you in many instances, which is why having trusted sources of inspiration, criticism, and direction are so crucial in the web development world.

So what?

In all honesty…I could list a dozen other steps, techniques, strategies, or points to help streamline the efficiency of production…having wittnessed more f*** ups than I could ever remember in the web world.  The moral of the story here is to focus the strengths of your team and hire people to do what they’re good at.  No one man, or team, can do everything…find the right resources, engage the right people, and force yourself to learn as much as you can.

Personal knowledge and growth in management comes at the hand of learning from the mistakes of others.

Never get angry with development frustrations…focus on what you could’ve done better to avoid the situation in the first place…then work to avoid making the same mistakes over and over again.