Constantly improving, learning, and adapting is essential to success in any field, but especially in software development. Embracing iteration is a powerful mindset that can lead to more efficient workflows, better products, and more satisfied customers. Here are some tips for putting this into practice in your software teams.
Expect to learn something new every time
Expecting to learn something new every time is a powerful mindset for embracing iteration in software development. No matter how experienced you are, there is always something to learn, new insights, and new opportunities for growth to be had. Here are some practical examples of how this mindset can be applied.
Direct interaction with users. The chance to interact with the people who use your product is a golden opportunity to learn something new. By observing how users interact with your product, you can gain valuable insights into what works and what doesn't. You'll likely discover users trying to do things in a way you've never conceived of, or applying your technology to situations you haven't considered.
Retrospectives. Retrospectives are a valuable tool for reflecting on the development process and identifying opportunities for improvement. Every time you conduct a retrospective, you have the opportunity to learn something new about how your team is implementing processes and where those processes might be improved. By approaching retrospectives with the expectation that you will learn something new every time, you can create a culture of continuous improvement and iteration.
Collaborating with your team. Working alongside your team members is an essential part of the development process. By approaching collaboration with the expectation that you will learn something new every time, you can create a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous learning. You may discover a new perspective on a problem or learn a new way of communicating with your team members. These discoveries may not be so easily made if you're always in "boss mode."
Even experienced developers should approach code reviews, user testing, retrospectives, learning new technologies, and collaboration with the expectation of learning something new every time.
Prepare for a certain amount of failure
Failure is an essential part of the iteration process. It's how we learn, grow, and adapt. But it can be hard to embrace failure, especially if a company culture values perfection. Setting proper expectations for outcomes can help to take the pressure off -- you don't need to get it completely right the first time around.
In our last edition, we discussed addressing different issues after-the-fact with senior management. It can also be challenging to set the right expectations upfront with senior management and your team. Here are some concrete suggestions for how to do so effectively:
Communicate the value of experimentation and learning to your team members and senior management. Explain how iteration can lead to better products, more efficient workflows, and more satisfied customers. Provide examples of successful iterations that your team has done in the past, what you learned, and how you used it to make improvements. This will help to make clear the importance of embracing failure and taking risks.
Set clear goals and objectives. This can help to take the pressure off and allow for experimentation. Define what success looks like for each iteration, and communicate this to your team members and senior management. Be specific about what you want to achieve, but also leave room for experimentation and learning.
Use data to measure success. Data can be a powerful tool for measuring how effective an iteration turned out to be. Define success metrics, or key performance indicators (KPIs), and communicate these to your team members and senior management. By using data to measure success, you can take the emotion out of failure and focus on what's working and what's not.
Continuously communicate and adjust expectations. As you learn and grow from each iteration, present your findings to your team members and senior management. Adjust your goals and objectives as needed to reflect what you've learned. By continuously communicating and adjusting expectations, you can create a culture of iteration that is responsive and adaptive.
Setting proper expectations for outcomes is critical for embracing iteration successfully. By communicating the value of experimentation and learning, setting clear goals and objectives, using data to measure success, and continuously communicating and adjusting expectations, you can create a culture of iteration that leads to better products, more efficient workflows, and more satisfied customers.
Leave your team room to experiment
Iteration requires experimentation. It requires trying new things, taking risks, and exploring new ideas. As a technical leader, it's your job to create an environment that encourages experimentation. Here are a few things you might try:
Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD). Can you make your team more efficient through automation? Teams can experiment with different CI/CD tools and workflows, such as Sophos Factory, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions, and fine-tune their processes to optimize for speed and reliability.
Alternative development processes. Would your team lend itself to a particular way of working that isn't currently being served? You can experiment with different flavors of software development methodologies, such as Scrum, Kanban, or Extreme Programming, and adjust your processes to fit your unique needs.
Learning new technologies. Teams can experiment purposefully with new technologies by setting up a "hackathon" or a "tech day" where team members can explore new tools, frameworks, and libraries. This not only allows teams to learn new skills but can also spark creativity and innovation.
Encourage your team to take risks, try new things, and learn from their mistakes. Provide the support and resources they need to experiment safely and effectively. And most importantly, celebrate their successes, no matter how small.
Take it to work today:
Expect to learn something new every time: Encourage a culture of continuous learning and improvement by approaching code reviews, user testing, retrospectives, learning new technologies, and collaboration with the expectation that you will learn something new every time.
Prepare for a certain amount of failure: Set clear goals and objectives, use data to measure success, and continuously communicate and adjust expectations to create a culture of iteration that embraces failure as an opportunity for learning and growth.
Leave your team room to experiment: Communicate the value of experimentation and learning, set clear goals and objectives, use data to measure success, celebrate successes and failures, and continuously communicate and adjust expectations to create an environment that encourages experimentation and learning.
Embracing iteration is not always easy, but it is essential to success in software development. By expecting to learn something new every time, preparing for a certain amount of failure, and leaving your team room to experiment, you can create a culture of iteration that will lead to more efficient workflows, better products, and more satisfied customers. So go ahead, embrace iteration -- the results may surprise you!