Succeeding with a new software engineering team requires careful planning and execution. That’s where Yousef Yacoub brings over more than 2 decades of expertise guiding global development teams. Now SW engineering leader and an executive coach, Yousef outlines his phased methodology for maximizing team performance. With experience across startups and enterprise companies, his insights provide a proven playbook for leaders stepping into new roles.
Starting with Discovery Phase
The first step in leading any new team begins with listening and learning. By taking time to gather information, leaders can make informed decisions aligned with company goals.
Yousef begins this discovery phase by advising leaders to enter with an open mindset. “You should always start with the discovery phase and make sure you are in listening mode,” he asserts. This posture allows for openly discussing all facets of the business without preconceived notions.
With stakeholders, Yousef focuses on understanding the company vision, target customers, and product offerings. He advises leaders to ask, “Where do they want your team to get to?” This big-picture view clarifies the role of the team.
By identifying customer pain points and current product shortfalls, leaders pinpoint improvement areas. Yousef also analyzes skill gaps between the team’s current capabilities and required skills. He emphasizes, “Understand the organization culture and dynamics and know who-is-who.” Learning team dynamics and politics helps leaders adapt their approach.
“Fully understand your current offerings and the shortfalls,” Yousef continues. Performing an objective analysis of existing products and services sharpens the improvement focus.
Planning the Path Forward
With a solid understanding of the team’s current state, Yousef moves to the planning phase. This stage involves aligning with stakeholders on the strategy and steps ahead.
“Work with key stakeholder to identify the product requirements,” Yousef suggests. Collaborating on requirements ensures everyone is on the same page regarding goals. He also advises mapping out what technical components and innovations will be needed for development.
An important piece of planning is detailing execution timelines. “Lead operational review for all the sprints required,” says Yousef. Breaking down objectives into executable sprints promotes accountability.
Equally vital is securing stakeholder sign-off on the plan ahead. “Review the project plan with the stakeholder and get their support and approval before any development is made,” Yousef urges. This confirmation of priorities prevents potential surprises down the road.
Driving Delivery Through Execution
Yousef notes that the execution phase involves implementing the plans outlined previously. He emphasizes utilizing proven development frameworks to structure this stage.
“Based on what you define in the planning stage, make sure you are using best of practice of SDLC process to track the progress of the team,” Yousef states. The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) provides a repeatable development workflow.
Within agile sprints, Yousef points leaders to prioritize open communication. “Regularly communicate the progress or lack of with your stakeholders,” he says. Transparency around achievements and roadblocks is key for swift resolution.
By managing each sprint diligently against operational plans, leaders can deliver innovation on time. Yousef sees disciplined execution as instrumental for meeting improvement objectives and overall operational excellence.
Reflecting for Future Success
Once a development cycle concludes, Yousef emphasizes the importance of reflection. The retrospective phase offers valuable insights for future initiatives.
“Make you reflect on what you have delivered and understand what you have learned to improve for future development projects,” says Yousef. Analyzing what worked well and potential gaps after a launch provides useful hindsight.
Yousef advises using retrospective findings to optimize strategies moving forward. Documenting takeaways also helps maintain momentum between teams and over time as leaders change.
Results That Prove the Process
Over decades of leadership, Yousef has refined a phased methodology for uplifting engineering teams. His approach balances team understanding, planning, execution, and learning. While simple in concept, these phases provide a proven framework for leaders to follow.
By investing time discovering a team’s dynamics, leaders lay the groundwork for success. Yousef’s tips empower leaders to build rapport and learn unique pain points. With needs aligned to plans, a team can then focus its energy on innovation execution.
To learn more about Yousef Yacoub and his approach, check out his LinkedIn profile.
