Struggling with Communication as a Software Engineer? Here’s a Better Way
Communication is more than just talking—it’s about building trust, sharing progress, and fostering collaboration. In this blog, I share some hard lessons I’ve learned through years of failure.
As a software engineer, I didn’t fully understand the power of communication until I faced challenges in my career. At one point, I led a team in a startup and prided myself on being a good communicator. I believed I could mentor, motivate, and connect with others effectively. People around me praised my people skills, and I thought I had mastered the art of human connection. But I was wrong.
It was hard to accept that I wasn’t communicating as well as I thought. This realisation didn’t come overnight, it came from the small yet significant struggles I faced daily. Let me share these lessons with you, hoping they help you avoid the same pitfalls.
Continuous Polling
In software development, continuous polling is inefficient, it wastes resources monitoring tasks instead of completing them. The same applies to communication.
Once, I was assigned a critical bug. I worked tirelessly to resolve it but failed to communicate my progress to the team. My manager kept checking in, asking for updates. This wasn’t because he doubted me but because I left everyone in the dark.
What I learned
To avoid this, provide regular updates. Instead of waiting for someone to ask, document your progress in tools like Jira or Slack or Teams or Asana whatever project management tool you use on daily basis. This transparency creates trust and lets everyone focus on their work instead of “polling” you for updates.
Resuming After a Break
Working in a distributed team comes with unique challenges, especially when returning after a long break. After a 45-day vacation, I resumed work but didn’t take the time to reconnect with everyone. I only spoke to a few colleagues and didn’t check in with my manager about tasks or challenges faced during my absence.
What I learned
When you return to work:
Ask your manager and team if anything needs your attention.
Check for unresolved tasks or issues during your absence.
Rebuild connections with colleagues, it strengthens the team and fosters trust.
Think of it as debugging a process in an operating system. Just as you’d investigate logs and address bottlenecks, you should “debug” your return to work by checking for issues and rebuilding flow.
Speak Up
There were times I spotted critical issues but didn’t raise them. For example, I once found a bug in a product but assumed someone else would notice and report it. Meanwhile, a proactive colleague found a similar bug, reported it, and immediately began working with the relevant people to resolve it.
What I learned
Good communication means taking initiative. If you see a problem, speak up. Waiting for others can cause delays or even failures. A good communicator takes responsibility, keeps the team informed, and ensures progress.
Clear Instructions
Complex projects often require team collaboration. On one such project, I spent three days fixing a local environment issue. I shared the solution in a short, unclear group chat message. As a result, my teammates struggled to follow it, wasting valuable time.
What I learned
Share instructions clearly and in a format that’s easy to reference, like an email or a shared document. Provide step-by-step guides and make sure everyone knows where to find them. Clear communication saves time, reduces frustration, and builds trust.
Acting Blindfolded
Sometimes, I noticed areas for improvement in our product but didn’t discuss them with the team. I assumed someone else would raise the issue. This was a mistake.
What I learned
If you see opportunities for improvement, don’t stay silent. Propose your ideas to the team or your manager. Even if the idea isn’t implemented, discussing it shows initiative and fosters collaboration. You know your work better than anyone else, so take ownership.
Communication isn’t just about speaking or writing, it’s about connecting, building trust, and ensuring everyone is aligned. Whether it’s sharing progress, asking for feedback, or proposing ideas, good communication makes work smoother and more enjoyable. If you have good intentions and can put yourself in someone else’s shoes, don’t hesitate to communicate.
There are countless scenarios where people struggle with communication, each unique in its challenges. The key is to develop the habit of reflecting on what worked and what didn’t. Think of it as debugging your human problems. In coding, you get immediate feedback when something goes wrong. But in real-life situations, it’s often more challenging. Be patient with this process, after all, we are human, driven by emotions, and emotions can be incredibly complex.