Engineers Need to Communicate! 3 Ways to Keep Relationships Close

This is a sudden question, but what kind of image do you have of the work of an engineer?

Many people have a strong image of working silently facing a computer.

Before I joined Sun-El, I had a strong impression that the job of an engineer was always sitting in front of a computer and creating systems.

But in factA job where there is a place to communicate with team members and customers, and there is a relationship with peopleIt is.

In this article, in order to build relationships between engineers and between superiors and subordinates,Introducing three initiatives that Sun-El valuesI'm going to do it!

Hitomi Matsumoto

I would be happy if it would be useful not only for engineers, but also for those who are active in organizations.

Why do engineers need communication skills?

Among aspiring engineers,If you have IT skills, knowledge and technology, you can do the work, so communication is not necessaryI think some people think.

However, basically system development is done in teams.

If team members cannot communicate, such as schedule management, communication between teams, and reporting, confirmation, and sharing of work status, work will be hindered and problems will occur.

of courseCommunication is essential for developing projects that meet customer needs and executing projects.

That said, there are some people who say, "I'm not good at talking to people."

Therefore, I would like to introduce the communication method that the development department of Sun-El uses!

Shorten the distance between hearts with 1on1

In San-El, in order to shorten the distance between members and hearts,"1on1"method is adopted.

What is "1on1"A one-on-one meeting between superiors and subordinates, an initiative introduced mainly by IT companiesIt is.

1on1 meetings are a management method originally started by Silicon Valley companies in the United States.

It is an essential initiative for building relationships between superiors and subordinates, and is held regularly from once a week to once a month.

Subordinates share their issues and concerns with their superiors, and superiors listen to their subordinates and provide feedback.

Unlike interviews aimed at evaluating subordinates and managing their progress, this meeting aims to build a relationship of trust by preventing one-way communication from the boss.

In the development department of Sanel, newcomers of less than a year are doing this 1on1 once a week.

Now then, I asked Sugano, who is in charge of the development department, what kind of effects and aims there are, so I'll explain in detail.

1on1 purpose effect and aim

――Do you have a purpose or aim?

Kanno:Basically, the purpose is to shorten the distance between the other party and improve the quality of communication.

I value 1on1 time in order to reduce the emotional distance between my boss and my subordinates, and I try to have meetings where the other person takes the lead, just like the original purpose.

It seems that there are people who often give assignments when doing 1on1, but in order to talk casually, I."It's better not to give assignments for 1on1"I think.

So, basically I don't prepare in advance, and the topic is anything.

So to speak, it is a substitute for the old drinking communication.

――What are you actually talking about?

Kanno:We talk about entertainment such as anime, games, manga, etc. for about 30 minutes, whether it's private or work.

Also, I try not to discuss specific matters at meetings.

If it's a light consultation, it's OK, so basically I'm often asked questions that I don't understand.

through this effortIt's a good time to talk about things that are usually difficult to hear, and to let out all the things I've been hoarding, so it's also a good way to let off steam.

So, this 1on1 is not limited to the first year, but the period and frequency are decided according to each person's growth and relationships.

In addition to new recruits, members of the development department always have one-on-one meetings twice a year.

By making this effort,You can improve team relationships, maintain motivation, and solve problems.

Because of the coronavirus, I have less time to get involved in things other than work, such as drinking parties, so it's a time I cherish as a place to chat.

Hitomi Matsumoto

I also felt the importance of 1 on 1 efforts because it is modern times where people are less involved.

Next, we will introduce what the whole team is working on!

“Standup” to create opportunities for everyone to gather every day

The development department of Sun-El has the latest"Agile development"method is adopted.

Agile development (agile software development) isOne of the current mainstream system and software development methodsIt is.

The biggest feature is that the development process such as "plan → design → implementation → test" is repeated in small cycles for each function.

It is a development method that focuses on maximizing the value of the product, which is resistant to specification changes because it is carried out on the premise that "changes are inevitable in projects".

As an effort necessary for such development,"Standup"are doing

A standup is a 15- to 30-minute meeting where everyone involved gathers at a fixed time every day.

A morning ceremony, so to speak.

At that meeting, we share what we did yesterday, what we will do today, what we are having trouble with, and the progress of the team.

By having this time every day,I have more opportunities to meet with everyone, and my daily work progresses more smoothly because of the close communication.It is.

We believe that a place like this is necessary for engineers to be able to develop efficiently, so it's one of the important meetings in the development department.

Finally, we will discuss the third approach.

Communicate via chat and improve your writing skills

In San ElWe use chat to facilitate communication.

Slackand ... andChatworkCommunicating with chat tools such as this will improve your writing skills, and especially engineers will improve their programming skills.

To write readable code, you must be able to write readable sentences.

So don't cut corners too much and write properly! is thorough, and you can naturally train your writing skills through chat exchanges.

But why chat? It seems that the email will be written more firmly and the writing power will increase! Some of you may have thought.

In fact, chat is a better writing training tool than email.

But why,Chat can correct sentencesfrom!

If it is an email, it takes time to check it many times and send it.

Chatting allows you to repeat trial and error, so you can train your writing skills as a result,You can improve work efficiency by interacting in a form close to conversation.

Also, at San-El, we often use chat tools to communicate with customers.

As a point of caution, in chats that anyone can see, we are thorough about putting important files in the drive without attaching them and not sending IDs and passwords.

By using chat while following the rules and improving your writing skills, you can hone your skills as an engineer comprehensively.

Summary｜Communication method of Sun-El engineers

To ensure close communication between engineers,San-El's three initiativesintroduced.

This is a method that can be used not only in the development department (engineers) but also in the organization, so I would be happy if you could use it as a reference.

During my interview,Communication within the development department is so closeI was surprised.

In particular, I think that the way engineers who usually work remotely and the methods of meetings were very helpful.

In addition to chat tools such as slack and Chatwork, Sanel also offers virtual office tools when you want to talk casually. oVice is sometimes used.

With oVice, it's easy to decide when to call out, depending on where the other person's avatar is, for example, in a concentration space or a relaxation room.

Even if it's something inside the company, there are times when I don't understand things when I change departments, so I hope I can introduce various aspects of San-El in future articles!