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Even with your team in different places, you can still work together!
With the increase in organizations either in the midst or at the planning stages of
a digital transformation, the demands for developer talent have arguably never been
higher. Just about every industry is going digital and realizing the value of
having software development skills on hand.
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As the president of Exadel Solutions, we offer outsourced tech talent, and I know
developers, scrum masters, and product owners are increasingly vital team members
to the business. Hiring and retaining top tech talent is important for many
companies affected by the talent gap.
Tapping into the global tech talent pool also creates another challenge � that of
the �dispersed team.� How can a company manage a team with one developer in
Detroit, a tester in Toronto and a business analyst in Berlin? Below are some best
practices shared in a recent Forbes article for getting the most out of a dispersed
team, common hurdles and key indicators for success (and failure).
A common challenge globally dispersed teams face is that at midday for a team based
in the United States, a team based in Europe may not be available to resolve a bug
or issue. It also makes having meetings between broadly distributed teams quite
challenging, so expect to be extra flexible with availability (and be willing to
hop on early morning or late-night video calls now and then).
Another common challenge for dispersed teams involves tools and process discipline.
It�s generally much easier for centrally located teams to align around the same
tools, just like it�s easier to communicate the benefits, train employees on the
tooling and discuss metrics of success or areas for improvement.
Centrally located teams can solve many problems with hallway conversations and
physical colocation that dispersed teams simply cannot. Dispersed teams can address
this by meeting at regular times, fulfilling documentation requirements and
communicating (or even over-communicating). You can help solve this problem by
using video conferencing tools.
There are also a number of best practices you can employ to create a high-
performing dispersed IT team.
Teams should take time to talk about non-work topics, participate in online video
games or other virtual competitions, connect in-person periodically, use video
conferencing, and recognize team and individual successes publicly. All of these
things are important in order for dispersed teams to build strong relationships
when they don�t necessarily interact with or see each other in person on a day-to-
day basis.
Another common mistake is assuming that team rapport will just happen organically;
it takes a lot of work and consideration to build team cohesiveness. It is also
dangerous to assume that tools and processes automatically solve all problems.
Teams can find loopholes and work around them without considering significant
business objectives. Ensure that team members discuss, agree upon and adhere to
processes and tooling decisions to help solve this challenge.
Globally dispersed teams seem to be more and more commonplace in today�s business
environment. It is a simple truth that often the local talent pool is not deep
enough to support the high demands of digital transformation. Fortunately, with the
right strategies and attitude, dispersed teams can work for any organization.