In software development, good communication is just as crucial as technical skills. It doesn’t matter how skilled a developer is if they can’t convey their ideas, collaborate with the team, or understand the product's needs. Many of us love coding and learning new technologies, and while these skills are essential, there comes a point in your career where you realize that one of the biggest challenges in the software industry, and in any activity where people must collaborate to achieve a common goal, is communication.
Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, delays, and issues with software quality. In a constantly changing work environment where different teams must coordinate to meet ambitious goals, the ability to communicate clearly and directly is not only key to project success but also to your professional growth.
So, let’s explore some common situations you may encounter and how to approach them effectively so that projects run smoothly and you can stand out as a valuable team member.
Participate Actively in Plannings and Always Ask Questions
It’s essential to attend and actively participate in team planning meetings. These sessions are the key moment to align with others, understand priorities, share ideas, and most importantly, ask questions. Don’t underestimate the value of good planning, as it lays the groundwork for the next sprints or iterations. Participation allows you to anticipate potential issues and ensure expectations are clear from the start.
Often, developers, especially juniors, don’t feel comfortable asking questions during planning sessions. The fear of asking a “wrong” question or exposing gaps in knowledge can lead many to remain silent. However, this lack of participation is counterproductive. If you don’t ask questions when everyone can clarify them, you’re letting others make decisions you might not fully understand. Senior developers with more experience may take certain details for granted that you might not grasp. If later you’re assigned a task you didn’t fully understand, you’ll still have to ask the questions, but at a less convenient time when everyone is focused on their tasks, making it harder to find the right moment to resolve them.
Questions, even if they seem basic, are crucial to avoiding misunderstandings and long-term issues. Resolving doubts at the beginning of the process reduces surprises during development and may even uncover gaps in task definitions. Moreover, if you’re new or less experienced, a seasoned Tech Lead (TL) won’t mind explaining what you need to know. Raising your hand and asking for help not only unblocks your work but also shows your willingness to learn and improve.
Although planning meetings can be long and tiring, they allow us to work more independently later on, minimizing interruptions and reducing meetings to daily stand-ups, as long as the agile approach is well-implemented (though that’s another topic).
Saying NO: A Superpower
Knowing how to say “no” when something isn’t feasible or isn’t the best recommendation is a crucial skill in software development. It’s not just about rejecting an idea, but backing up that “no” with solid reasons and, most importantly, offering viable alternatives. Saying “no” with arguments shows your ability to analyze problems and find solutions, strengthening your credibility as a developer. Additionally, setting boundaries when necessary leads to more efficient work and higher quality products.
It’s essential that when you say “no,” you can defend your stance. It’s not enough to say something can’t be done or just oppose for the sake of it (that’s a red flag). The ideal approach is to explain why it’s not possible or why it’s not the best option, and then offer alternatives that can solve the problem in another way. This skill not only makes you more valuable to the team but also improves decision-making by providing useful perspectives.
It’s also crucial to be aware of your own knowledge limits and maintain an open attitude toward learning. There’s no point in questioning every decision made, but sometimes, due to a TL’s responsibilities like meetings, architectural decisions, or changing priorities, some details may slip through the cracks, no one is perfect. This is where developers who are more hands-on with the code play an important role, identifying those small gaps that might have been overlooked.
If the TL or product team decides to take a different approach, ideally, they’ll explain the external factors that influenced that decision. Understanding these “whys” is a valuable learning opportunity, helping you improve your decision-making in the future and better understand how to balance technical and product needs in your project.
Leave Your Opinions and Decisions in Writing
When you have a strong opinion about a critical feature or a change you consider potentially problematic, it’s essential to record your perspective in writing, whether in a comment on a ticket or a related email. This ensures your voice is heard and creates a record that you flagged potential risks.
Leaving your opinions in writing helps clarify who’s responsible for what. One of the most common issues in teams is the lack of ownership, where responsibility for certain decisions shifts based on tickets or current priorities. By documenting your concerns or suggestions, you make it easier to identify who has the knowledge and authority to decide the course of action.
At the end of the day, someone must take responsibility for those decisions. Balancing technical knowledge and product needs is key to finding effective solutions. Documenting these opinions not only protects your work and ensures transparency, but it also helps the team avoid dispersed responsibilities, making technical decisions more coherent and aligned with product goals.
Communication with QA: Collaboration, Not Confrontation
It’s common for tensions to arise between developers and QA, which is understandable given the differences in their roles. Time and again, the biggest problem isn’t finding bugs, but the lack of clear communication between both teams.
Sometimes QA reports problems they consider obvious, but that are not clearly specified in the user story or the task’s acceptance criteria. This can lead to misunderstandings if not well-communicated from the start. That’s why your role as a developer, if you spot ambiguities in a ticket, is to communicate this to the QA team, the product manager (PM), and/or product owner (PO). This way, we can anticipate potential issues in tests and ensure that the QA team is aware of what might arise, thus adjusting everyone’s expectations.
Some of these problems can be solved by actively participating in planning sessions, as mentioned earlier, but there are cases where certain obstacles only appear once we start looking at the code.
Communicating with Non-Technical Stakeholders: The Art of Simplifying
One of the biggest challenges when interacting with non-technical stakeholders is translating complex concepts without resorting to technical jargon. Learning how to simplify these concepts and explain them clearly using practical examples is essential for stakeholders to make informed decisions. In general, everyone wants to solve problems in the best way possible and get good user feedback, but often the difference lies in understanding what’s technically possible or efficient.
A very common mistake is that product owners present solutions instead of problems. Instead of explaining what they need to achieve, they often come with a ready-made solution, which might work for simple issues. However, in most cases, the solutions they propose are just one option among the few alternatives they know, without considering that there could be many better ways to approach the problem. As a developer, it’s your responsibility to ask questions that help you understand the real problem and then offer alternatives based on your technical knowledge.
If you can suggest a better solution to a problem, you’re not only demonstrating your technical ability but also showing initiative and a genuine interest in the product. This builds trust with the leadership team, as it shows you’re thinking about the product and features as a whole, rather than just as a series of isolated tasks.
This kind of approach can open many opportunities for you in the future, as it shows you can strategically contribute to the product’s success.
Final Thoughts
Being a valuable member of a software team isn’t just about writing code, but about actively contributing to creating a solid product aligned with the business’s needs.
When we communicate effectively in the various opportunities we have to ask questions and define key aspects like workflows or technical decisions, we’re not only improving communication within the team but also enriching the development experience as a whole. By interacting and learning from the different people involved in the process (not just in the software side), we’re building closer and more trusting relationships with our colleagues.
Good communication also allows us to be more productive and work more independently, as everyone is clear about their responsibilities and the decisions made. This not only improves the work environment but also makes the process of working in the software industry more enjoyable.
Finally, with an attitude focused on improving communication and doing things right, that extra effort may not only boost your performance but even lead to a promotion or new opportunities within the company.
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Listen to the narrated version of this article on my podcast Code Quests! Check it out on Spotify open.spotify.com/episode/3GWFZ44eZ...