How To Make Your Web Development Team More Competitive

Managing a web development team is rewarding yet a stressful job, especially when confronted with a broad range of clients, employees, and demands on a daily basis. When working on a tight schedule and constant deadlines, web development projects can take a toll on the creative side of the job. Tied up in the day-to-day tasks many managers can lose sight of the big picture and not focus on what matters.

In this article, I will share some useful tips that can help managers improve time, get organized, focus on the important part of the job and lead the team in the right direction.

1. Improve time management

Even though there are many types of teams, everyone is sometimes struggling to find the time to do what they need to do.

To get a handle on your time and use it more productively, first define what you and your team needs to do on a to-do list. Organize the tasks by category, and schedule every single task. Put them on a calendar, and make sure that everyone checks off the tasks that they’ve done.

A web development project management software with a dedicated time tracker  is crucial when you need to get a better overview of the entire team’s productivity.

2. Get organized

If you and your team find yourselves frequently overwhelmed by the work and overloaded with information, then you need to get organized fast.

The first step is to improve your time management by using something like the Pareto’s Principle (the 80-20 Rule) to organize your time. Also, organize your incoming emails, turn off all notifications on your smartphone, and get off social networks – unless you need them for work, of course. Be sure to set an example that your team will want to follow.

3. Focus on what’s important

Since the first hour at work is the most productive for most people, instruct your team to do the most challenging tasks first.

After you and your team complete all those tasks, ensure that they continue working on the less important assignments, and then end with the routine everyday chores. Work in this order so that you give your full attention to the most important tasks. All of this will help them channel their energy better, and make them more productive in the long run.

4. Be flexible

Make sure to get away from all the distractions, and set the time you need to get your work done. Don’t hesitate to block out everything to get in the zone. Let your teammates spend about 20% of the time on doing what they want. It can be an excellent employee benefit that should improve overall happiness and productivity of your team.

You can also increase productivity by creating a culture where meetings have a real purpose, are attended by the right people, and on time. You can achieve this through policy changes, or by communicating directly with the team. Be flexible with them – experiment with remote work and more flexible hours. Maybe your colleagues will like the flow with a more relaxed schedule.

5. Lead the team in the right direction

To successfully lead the team, you need to know where you are heading, and what path you are taking. Have a goal in mind and a vision of what you want your team to achieve. It will help you stay on track. You should also limit the time to achieve your goals because there’s no need to chase forever something that’s not doable. The success or failure of this will give you an insight as to whether you are doing a good job or not.

Also Read: 6 Common Web Development Myths You Need to Stop Believing

Conclusion

Being a team leader can be hard at times – you almost always work under pressure, and bear responsibility for the entire team. However, a dedicated project management tool that can help you and your team with time management, organisation, focus and flexibility. It will make the team more productive and, in turn, more successful.