Developers are the most important part of the team: they create software that drives business growth and development. Without them, the company will either stagnate or completely fail at worse. Despite this, it is not necessary to treat them as celestial beings. However, it is still worth learning how to properly communicate with developers.

Communication with programmers will be different from interaction with other staff, as they are often not the most socially active people. I personally was a developer, then a team leader and a service station in large companies, and now I run my own web studio, YuSMP Group. During this time, I have well understood how to communicate effectively and efficiently with those who speak the language of code.

Speak accurately and specifically

This advice may seem obvious, but not everyone understands what they are talking about when it comes to the product. Before meeting with the developers, figure out the goals, make a plan, or write down ways to achieve them. The more you know about the subject of the conversation, the more effective the conversation will be.

Fix your goals in documents

Now that you know what you're talking about, it's important to document everything. If you have a well-worded written document about goals and processes, it will give your developers a clear idea of what needs to be done. This tool will greatly facilitate the work of programmers.

Reason each request

When you ask a developer to do something, tell them why you need to do a particular task. Not because "it's necessary", but because this request is important from the point of view of the company's website or application stack. Developers treat reasonable requests with respect and execute them faster.

Clearly state your requirements

Here everything is simple: the more precisely the project or functionality you want to see is described, the more you will like the result. It is important to convey in detail to the developers what the finished product looks like in your head (or in the head of the customer, the CEO). Be specific and make sure that by all the characteristics you mean the same thing.

Don't joke about the code if you don't know it

When communicating with developers, don't try to appear cool and show that you are on the topic if you are not. Do not try to use pseudocode (describing the steps of the algorithm in simple language) when talking to programmers. At best, you will only be laughed at.

Don't change the amount of work

You have made a project plan, and your developers are working hard on it. Suddenly, someone from the management decides to make a change in the work scope, as a result of which the project deadline will be in danger of failure.

If a volume change is imminent, it is best to first hold an informal meeting with the developers to warn them of the likely changes. Be prepared to explain clearly why the changes are happening and document the new requirements.

In fact, developers are just people like everyone else. Communicate with them respectfully, tell them about the details and changes in the project. In general, I adhere to these principles with all employees: I always try to be correct and as constant as possible in my decisions. I believe that this is the key to excellent results.