How to Communicate as a Software Developer

Summary

This video emphasizes the importance of communication for software developers, highlighting that effective communication distinguishes senior engineers from others. It covers three key aspects: proactive communication, constructive communication, and asynchronous versus live communication. Proactive communication involves setting clear expectations and clarifying tasks. Constructive communication, often occurring in code reviews, should be nuanced and question-driven. Lastly, the video discusses when to use live versus async communication, noting that live interactions are better for complex topics and pairing, while async communication suits most other needs. The video concludes with a call to subscribe for more software engineering and career development content.

Takeaways

• 💬 Communication is crucial for software developers, especially in teams.
• 📅 Proactive communication involves setting clear expectations and anticipating potential issues.
• 🛠️ Proactive communication includes logistical updates and code-related notifications.
• 🔍 Clarifying questions before starting work is an aspect of proactive communication.
• 🗣️ Constructive communication is essential in pull requests and helps in team growth.
• ❓ Asking questions in pull requests can make feedback more palatable and effective.
• 🌟 Indirect statements can also be used to provide feedback without being too abrasive.
• 🔄 Live communication, like Zoom calls, is better for pairing and explaining complex topics.
• 📧 Asynchronous communication, like Slack or email, is better for less immediate discussions.
• 🤝 Ultimately, the balance between live and async communication depends on team culture and individual preferences.

Q & A

Why is communication important for software developers?

Communication is crucial for software developers because it separates senior engineers from others. It helps in working effectively within teams and ensures better collaboration and understanding of project goals.

What are the three types of communication mentioned in the script?

The three types of communication mentioned are proactive communication, constructive communication, and asynchronous versus live communication.

What is proactive communication and why is it important?

Proactive communication involves setting expectations within the team and thinking ahead about potential issues. It is important because it helps in mitigating challenges and ensures that everyone is on the same page.

Can you provide examples of proactive communication?

Examples of proactive communication include informing the team about your availability (e.g., being away from the computer), clarifying doubts before starting a task, and alerting the team about potential issues or necessary actions (e.g., running migrations).

What is constructive communication in the context of software development?

Constructive communication in software development refers to providing feedback in a way that is helpful and non-abrasive. It often occurs in pull requests and focuses on asking questions or making indirect statements to guide and teach team members.

How can developers provide constructive feedback effectively?

Developers can provide constructive feedback effectively by asking questions to understand the thought process, making indirect statements to highlight concerns, and ensuring their feedback is not too blunt or harsh.

What are the benefits of using questions in constructive communication?

Using questions in constructive communication helps in getting the other person’s perspective, clarifying doubts, and avoiding misunderstandings. It also allows for a more collaborative and less confrontational approach to feedback.

When is live communication preferred over asynchronous communication?

Live communication is preferred for pairing, explaining complicated topics, ensuring proper tone, and quick back-and-forth discussions. It is particularly useful when the conversation requires immediate feedback and nuanced understanding.

What are the advantages of asynchronous communication?

Asynchronous communication, like using Slack or email, is better for tasks that do not require immediate feedback. It allows people to work at their own pace, helps in documenting discussions, and is suitable for those who prefer less frequent meetings.

How should teams decide between live and asynchronous communication?

Teams should decide between live and asynchronous communication based on their culture and the specific needs of the situation. They should follow the team’s established practices unless there is a clear and better way to handle communication.

Outlines

00:00

🗣️ The Importance of Communication for Software Developers

In this opening paragraph, the speaker emphasizes the significance of communication skills for software developers. It's noted that effective communication distinguishes senior engineers from others. The common misconception that development is a solitary activity is addressed, highlighting the team-oriented nature of most software development projects. The speaker introduces the three main topics to be covered: proactive communication, constructive communication, and asynchronous versus live communication.

05:01

🔍 Understanding Proactive Communication

Proactive communication involves setting clear expectations within a team. This includes logistical updates, code-related notifications, and clarifying doubts before starting tasks. The speaker stresses the importance of anticipating potential challenges and addressing them early. By ensuring that everyone is on the same page, proactive communication fosters better teamwork and efficiency.

👥 Constructive Communication in Code Reviews

Constructive communication, primarily occurring in pull requests, serves as a teaching tool and helps elevate the team. The speaker advises against blunt feedback and suggests a more nuanced approach through questions and indirect statements. This method encourages collaboration and understanding, making the feedback process less abrasive and more productive.

💬 Asynchronous vs. Live Communication

The speaker compares asynchronous communication (e.g., Slack, email) with live communication (e.g., Zoom, in-person meetings). While acknowledging a preference for asynchronous methods, the speaker concedes that live communication is often better for pairing, explaining complex topics, and maintaining the right tone. The choice between the two depends on team culture and the specific context of the communication.

🔚 Conclusion and Channel Promotion

In the final paragraph, the speaker recaps the importance of communication for developers and encourages viewers to implement the discussed strategies. The speaker also promotes the channel, which focuses on software engineering and career development, and invites viewers to subscribe. The video ends with a motivational message: 'Stay hungry, stay curious.'

Keywords

💡Proactive communication

Proactive communication involves setting expectations and addressing potential issues before they arise. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of informing team members about one's availability and clarifying tasks to ensure smooth workflow and avoid misunderstandings. Examples include informing teammates about upcoming absences or clarifying doubts before starting a task.

💡Constructive communication

Constructive communication is about providing feedback in a helpful and non-abrasive manner. The speaker suggests using questions and indirect statements to guide colleagues towards better solutions without being overly critical. This approach is especially important during code reviews and helps in team learning and development.

💡Asynchronous communication

Asynchronous communication refers to exchanges that do not happen in real-time, such as emails or messages on Slack. The video highlights that while async communication is useful for many scenarios, it has limitations for tasks requiring quick back-and-forth interactions, such as pair programming or complex problem discussions.

💡Live communication

Live communication involves real-time interactions, such as meetings or video calls. The speaker notes that live communication is crucial for activities like pair programming, explaining nuanced concepts, and maintaining the correct tone in discussions. It helps in resolving issues quickly and effectively.

💡Team collaboration

Team collaboration is the process of working together as a team to achieve common goals. The speaker underscores that effective communication is key to successful collaboration, as most software development work is done in teams. Setting clear expectations and providing constructive feedback are essential components of good team collaboration.

💡Expectations

Expectations refer to the anticipated behaviors and outcomes within a team. Proactive communication about expectations helps ensure everyone is on the same page and can work more efficiently. For instance, informing the team about taking a break or the need to run certain code migrations sets clear expectations and avoids confusion.

💡Code reviews

Code reviews are the process of evaluating code written by others to ensure quality and consistency. Constructive communication during code reviews involves asking questions and making indirect statements to guide improvements without being harsh. This helps in skill development and maintaining a positive team environment.

💡Feedback

Feedback is information provided about someone's performance or work. In the context of the video, constructive feedback is crucial for helping team members improve their code and practices. Asking questions and making gentle suggestions are recommended strategies for giving effective feedback.

💡Pair programming

Pair programming is a collaborative coding practice where two developers work together at one workstation. The speaker mentions that live communication is particularly beneficial for pair programming, as it allows for immediate feedback and discussion, making the process more efficient than asynchronous communication.

💡Nuance

Nuance refers to subtle differences or distinctions in expression, meaning, or response. The speaker points out that live communication is better for conveying nuances, as written communication can often miss the subtleties of tone and intent. This is especially important when explaining complex concepts or providing feedback.

Highlights

Communication is crucial for software developers, especially in teams.

Proactive communication involves setting expectations and thinking ahead about potential challenges.

Examples of proactive communication include notifying the team about being away from the computer and clarifying tasks before starting.

Constructive communication often takes place in pull requests and involves providing feedback in a nuanced way.

Asking questions in pull requests can make feedback more palatable and encourage open discussion.

Indirect statements in feedback can help avoid being abrasive while still voicing concerns.

Live communication is better for activities like pair programming and explaining complex topics.

Live communication allows for better tone conveyance and quicker back-and-forth interactions.

Asynchronous communication, such as Slack or email, is suitable for most other interactions.

Team culture and individual preferences play a significant role in choosing between async and live communication.

Effective communication can distinguish senior engineers from others and enhance team collaboration.

Proactive communication includes logistics and code-related updates, aiming to mitigate potential issues.

Constructive communication should be used as a teaching tool to level up the team.

Developers should avoid blunt feedback and strive for a more nuanced approach.

Finding the right balance between async and live communication depends on the team's needs and the nature of the task.

Transcripts

everyone welcome back to the channel

today we're going to talk about how to

communicate as a software developer and

i know what you might be thinking what

the heck does this have to do with

engineering but the truth is that

communication is one of the things that

separates senior engineers from

everybody else and if you can do this

well it will really set you apart it's

easy to think that being a developer is

just about writing code alone in a dark

room but the truth is that most software

development is done on teams and because

it's done on teams communicating within

your team is of the utmost importance

all right so i'm going to talk about

three things proactive communication

constructive communication and

asynchronous versus live communication

so let's go ahead and get into it so

proactive communication is pretty much

what it sounds like and for me proactive

communication comes down to setting

expectations within your team for me

proactive communication can encompass a

lot of things so it can encompass

logistics so saying stuff like hey

everyone i'm going to be away from my

computer for an hour all the way up to

things related to the code so for

example hey devs everyone needs to run

migrations or watch out for this bug and

this part of the application but i'm

fixing it stuff like that proactive

communication can also be clarifying

things before you start on work so let's

say you take a ticket from the backlog

and as you're starting work on it you

have some questions or you need some

clarification proactive communication

would be reaching out to make sure you

have everything set in your mind before

you start working basically proactive

communication comes down to thinking

ahead about things that could go wrong

or challenges that might be presented to

your team and trying to mitigate those

or at least that's how i think of it i'm

generally of the school of thought that

the better expectations are communicated

the better everyone works together and

that is why proactive communication is

so important all right let's move on to

constructive communication so in my mind

constructive communication is mostly

going to take place in pull requests to

either github or gitlab or whatever

source control you happen to use and

constructive communication is important

because it's a teaching tool and it's

also a really good way to level your

team up if it's done appropriately and

with some nuance so developers have a

bad reputation for being really blunt

and not too nuanced when it comes to

feedback so stuff like this is bad this

is wrong this is a code smell you know

stuff like that and so the way i like to

approach constructive communication in a

way that's more palatable for the other

person is to ask questions so if you

notice for example a lot of repeating

code i would say hey is there a way to

make this more dry or hey for this piece

of data we would typically use the

context api rather than redux would you

mind telling me a little bit more about

your thought process or if there's not

an opportunity to ask a question

directly i might make a statement that

is a little bit more passive so for

example i might say it seems like the

way that you built this modal is in

conflict with the pattern that we have

in the rest of the app and then maybe

you could follow up with a question like

does that seem to be the case to you i

think the benefit of doing things this

way is that you're able to get your

point across and voice some concerns

without being hopefully too abrasive and

you also give the other person an

opportunity to express their thoughts a

lot of times when i ask a question on a

pull request it's not that i'm trying to

criticize indirectly it's that i

genuinely have a question and a lot of

times the person who wrote the code is

the person that is best able to answer

that question and a lot of times there's

just stuff that i didn't think of and so

it's a good way to get all on the same

page so that's basically constructive

communication for me questions and

indirect statements all right let's talk

about the last topic which is async

versus live communication and

conversations so if i'm being honest i

don't love jumping on zooms just kind of

by nature i kind of like being a little

bit in a silo and just doing my work

without having to do a whole lot of

talking during the day but i will say

that live communication is better for a

lot of things that come up so it's

pretty obvious but live communication

let's say via a zoom or in person or

whatever is better for pairing so trying

to pair program with somebody async is

kind of a mess it's just really

difficult and so i will give the win to

live communication as far as that goes

and if you have a company that has a

strong culture of pairing and that

probably means you're going to be on a

lot of zooms but that's okay i think

live communication is also better for

explaining complicated things that have

a fair bit of nuance so if there's

something that's really complicated it

can be a little bit exhausting to have

to type out a whole paragraph and then

do a bunch of back and forth about

whatever the topic is doing it live is

also better for tone so it's really hard

to communicate tone through written

formats and it's also better like i said

if there just needs to be a quick back

and forth then live is probably better

for just getting that out of the way i

think async communication like slack or

email is better for everything else or

for people that don't like getting on

calls but i think at a certain point you

will kind of run into some friction as

it pertains to like i said pairing and

stuff like that that is just better

suited for a live conversation

ultimately this comes down to team

culture and to some extent individuals

so i would say above all just do what

the team does unless there's an obvious

way of doing it better so those are my

tips on how to do communication as a

developer and hopefully do it a little

bit better hope you found this helpful

if you're still here you'd probably like

the rest of my channel which focuses on

software engineering and career

development so consider subscribing

regardless thanks so much for watching

to the end remember stay hungry stay

curious and i'll see you in the next one

[Music]