Software development is fun, there’s no doubt about it. All the collaboration, client interaction, protoyping, system architecture, and all that lovely code.

But, what happens when we, as developers, get too close? What happens when we get too involved in the code?

It all sounds rather obvious, but it can happen:

• We don’t take a regular step back.
• We lose the wider perspective.
• We lose visibility of what ‘finished’ looks like, what parts make up the whole and how close we are.
• We strain relationships with ambiguity, overly detailed feedback and uncertainty.

Getting this wrong can result in project failure. Getting this right takes a strong, close, confident and brutally honest relationship between all members of a project team. All members maintain a focus on the scope, plan and budget; especially the seniors. Daily catchup meetings provide a platform for team members to demonstrate their responsibly to the rest of the team and a platform for all members to consistently establish their awareness of the whole. Challenge is normal and data is king.

With all this in hand, projects flow and risk is clear and manageable. Team members are empowered and in every way are a part of the solution. Resource management is possible early and in perfect balance. Reporting and escalating is possible iteratively, keeping everyone empowered and in the loop.

How do developers get to this place? More to follow…