Effective Communication in a Global Asynchronous Development Team

In a world where development teams span across multiple time zones, effective communication becomes paramount. Development teams operating asynchronously should maintain efficiency and clarity. Following processes helps everyone in team aligned on goals and informed about team momentum. This blog post will outline the guidelines for daily standup postings in the #dev_general Slack (or similar) channel, as well as tips for giving concise and effective updates.

Guidelines for Posting Standup in #dev_general channel

1. Post What Has Been Achieved the Previous Working Day

When posting your standup update, focus on material contributions. These are the achievements that significantly push the team closer to the company vision/mission.

Material Contributions ✅

• Completed Feature: Successfully developed and tested a new feature.
• Hired Team Member: Added a valuable new member to our team.
• Deployed a Service: Successfully launched a new service or feature.
• Initiated Marketing Campaign: Started a new marketing initiative.
• Completed Funding Round: Secured new funding for our projects.

Non-material Contributions 🛑

• Watched Video: Watched educational or informative videos.
• Learning Subject: Spent time learning a new subject.
• Grooming Ticket: Groomed or reviewed tickets (unless you're the product owner).
• Attended Meetings: Participated in meetings.

2. Timing of Your Post

Post your standup update within the first 2 hours of starting your day. This ensures that everyone is up-to-date and can plan their day accordingly.

Why Post Early?

• Visibility: Provides visibility to your team members.
• Focus: Helps you set a clear focus for the day.
• Calibration: Allows your leads to provide guidance and support.

Concepts to Consider for Daily Standups

Daily standups in tech are brief meetings aimed at discussing progress, identifying challenges, and planning ahead. Here are some tips for effective standups:

1. Keep It Concise

Standups should be brief. Limit your updates to 2-3 minutes.

2. Focus on Progress

Highlight what you accomplished since the last standup and what you plan to do today. Be specific about your achievements and next steps.

3. Identify Obstacles

If you’re facing any challenges, mention them. This helps the team understand where support is needed.

4. Be Transparent

Honesty is key. If you’re struggling with a task, ask for help. Transparency fosters a supportive team environment.

5. Stay on Topic

Keep your updates focused on relevant tasks. Save lengthy discussions for later meetings.

Conclusion

The purpose of our daily standups is to keep everyone aligned and moving forward efficiently as team.