10 team build tips to have successful software development projects

Successful teamwork is vital for software development projects. We tell you everything you need to know to create an influential group of professionals, keep them motivated and have them work towards a common objective.

Many organizations using technology to transform people’s lives have similar questions regarding team building. “What talent should you look for to have an outstanding IT team?” or “what is the right moment to add new members to an existing group of professionals?” are only some of them.

Building a successful IT team is not an easy challenge. Finding the balance between soft and hard skills, implementing methods so that the people who join the team communicate and work without friction, or getting each team member to feel motivated are some factors that come into play when forming a team.

The task may seem overwhelming, but things are solved one step at a time, as with everything.

Here we give you ten tips to put together the puzzle of a successful IT team:

How to create a succesful IT team?

Considering both soft skills and technical capabilities, fostering participative environments, and hiring people interested in continuous learning are just some keys to creating excellent IT teams. We tell you more in the following tips:

1. Asses your weakness and strengths

To build and lead high-performance IT teams, we must recognize where we have experience and expertise while understanding where we can improve as an organization.

Identifying our weaknesses and strengths, as well as being able to identify those of others, is the first step in building effective teams.

Based on self-knowledge allows us to create teams in which each member complements the other, taking into account factors such as personality, values, attitudes, and behaviors.

2. Cultivate diversity

For a team to succeed, there must be a combination of technical and interpersonal skills that are constantly adjusted to the context demands. It isn’t easy to achieve great things in a group where each member is the same.

If you choose a group with similar interests, personality treats, backgrounds and goals, there will be no room for creativity. Furthermore, there will not be challenges or situations that take them out of their comfort zone.

On the contrary, in a diverse environment, each person can bring valuable perspectives that widen the blind spots we have as individuals.

3. Be clear about your vision

The perfect magnet for attracting the talent is having a clear idea of where you’re going and feeling passionate about your journey.

Communicating your vision is critical to keeping team members motivated. Make sure each person understands why they work is  important in the organization’s bigger picture. That way,  they may see their salary as one of the many satisfactions they get from working with you.

4. Think long term

Don’t look for people to put out today’s fires. Whenever you form a team, think about the people who can rise to the challenges ahead.

Now, no one has the secret to knowing what the future holds exactly, but if you build from the minimum viable version of your team, you can safely scale it up in size with an eye on what is coming for your business.

5. Retain the talent

It’s clear what they can do for you, but have you ever wondered what the company can do for them? It is crucial that the work has repercussions on their personal life and makes people working for you feel fulfilled.

Developers are not machines. Create a participatory environment, in which their opinions are taken into account. The result will be a vibrant and creative environment that can give you an advantage over other job options.

6. Choose people who want to learn

Building high-performing IT teams is a lot like building a soccer team: players must train to become increasingly agile. Over time, they will better read game changes and analyze their competitors.

On the other hand, no matter how competent a person may be based on their resume, the training never ends.

7. Invest in experience and multiply knowledge

Leaders with strong technical backgrounds help young team members acquire and refine skills.

In the long term, creating an environment that facilitates the multiplication of knowledge and in which there are opportunities for advancement allows organizations to grow in size quickly and creates an agile environment in which autonomy prevails.

8. Go beyond technical strength

As we said before, creating learning environments means that, over time, you can have leaders who have in-depth knowledge of the subject in which they are experts. The next step is to give them the tools to become benchmarks in the industry in which they work.

If your team learns communication skills while developing a deep understanding of the business, the great ideas they produce will have a considerable impact. Having a team that knows how to write, create content and speak in public increases the relevance and weight of your organization.

9. Give them autonomy

The connectivity brought by the pandemic and remote work increased the speed of many processes. The phrase “you have to wait for the next meeting” is on the verge of extinction because the members of the IT teams are in constant contact and can solve their doubts or impediments more and more quickly.

To continue taking advantage of this trend, it is vital to facilitate flexible work environments in which people in leadership positions agree on goals and deadlines. At the same time, teams have the autonomy to decide how they will meet them.

10. Never neglect communication

When a team is small, communication between members is accessible, and it is easy to ensure everyone understands the goals and the processes to achieve them.

At the moment when work teams begin to grow, it is necessary to guarantee that communication continues to work.

In these situations, an internal communication strategy must be clear that includes multidisciplinary perspectives capable of offering creative solutions.

Finally, it’s worth noting that none of these tips can guarantee success if you lose sight of your customers. Every person on the team must be motivated by the desire to improve the lives of end-users.

Always build teams that have the customer at the center of their work. This mindset will allow you to be several steps ahead when dealing with any kind of challenge.