How do you boost communication?
Agile development has tight and frequent deadlines – especially with a Mendix project where the deadlines are usually 1-2 week sprints. When companies choose to do agile development after being focused on waterfall or other restrictive development methodologies, it requires a complete shift in mindset. Change is challenging and has a lot of learning pains. However, change is totally worth it when you get the return on investment. Everyone wants to know that the work they do has impact. With agile development it is possible to have a product out the door and make an impact rapidly within weeks or months – rather than years or decades.
The best way to handle the challenges of tight deadlines and multiple stakeholders is to communicate effectively across all team members. Here are five recommendations to improve agile team communication and build trust:
1. Define Roles and Goals at the Beginning
A lot of miscommunication starts at the very beginning of a project. Each project should have a clear kick-off with roles and goals defined. During the kick-off, it is important to discuss what the various roles will be and what the expectations for and from team members are. There should be an escalation overview highlighting how to resolve problems when they arise. The kick-off should serve as a guidance for the team, but should not be rigid or set in stone. Changes are bound to happen and the team should be agile and adjust to change.