Communication Instinct

Many of the challenges facing software processes today are not new. From the social to the technical, these challenges are also not unique to the software world. Dissension amongst the ranks and disillusionment with management are common social problems within any company; and more, within any group of people who co-habit for a length of time. What and how to act [implement] are also sources of diverse technical opinion and impassioned debate between those in the know. Nonetheless, as common [and age-old] as our predicament is, it has it’s own distinct flavour spiced up through consistently bad communication.

Statistics aside, our collective experience testifies that business [“them”] and development [“us”] fail to understand each other as clearly as we would like. Starting with the requirements gathering phase, the problem definition is already corrupted. There is enough satire available to substantiate this undercurrent of truth [even without Dilbert] that there is something horribly wrong right from the beginning.

Agile, waterfall, functional specifications, UML; all these and others try desperately to accommodate vague definitions or legalistically bind definitions on opposite sides of the spectrum. Even the middle path fails sometimes. As hard as some try, they will fail with spectacular disillusion, regardless of how absolutely brilliant the idea is. Execution is key.

To execute, we need “a” plan. Once we have “a” plan, it needs to be communicated in a way that is understood with clarity by each member involved such that each is of the same mind and vision. And in successful execution, this communication tends toward the less verbose and more instinctive over time. Team members learn to read each other.

Why do newly formed sport teams get better with age [assuming players remain mostly the same]? Why does their game break down when the team is shuffled? Why is it so hard for new team players to break into a team? Why do they even need to break into a team? As a team gets better, their communication is reduced to a twinkle in the eye; a mono-syllabic reference to a previously successful play; the slightest change in posture. If they had to communicate from first principles each time, their progress would be slow. New team members need to absorb these nuances and shared histories in order to fit into and contribute to successful play.

The same can be said of a software development team [which, by the way includes both the “them” and the “us”- a one team mentality, but that’s another discussion altogether]. The team needs to progress to a point where business analysts only need say one thing in a particular way and immediately the technical team understands the play. Yes, this may take some time and work. More over, it takes courage and patience.

Changing teams all the time doesn’t help things much but maybe the teams change because there is no perceived progress. Another chicken/egg scenario [btw, the chicken came first]. That aside, a committed and successful team will endeavour to refine their communication and work hard at understanding each other.

Imagine business investment looking the technical team squarely in the eye during a round of requirements gathering…
BI: “Status Updates”
TT: “Done”
And the expectations of BI are exceeded upon delivery. Fantasy? For sure, but that doesn’t mean we can’t aim to achieve a measure of that.

Agile, waterfall, functional specifications, UML, et al, are all tools to aid communication, not replace it. And as with any tool, the job is easy if you use the right tool at the right time for the right job. They should not be ends within themselves but a means to achieve a greater understanding of each other. And in developing these communication tools, progressing in them for the sake of expertness without a greater awareness of their communicative double edge, restrains the more powerful instinctive and natural communication. It is this kind of communuication, when manifested, which is able to break all barriers of understanding and promote real value.