The majority of customers share an instance with a partner (or partners) during platform implementations and setups. And often it works out smoothly. But plenty of times it doesn’t.
There are two types of people in these environments. And we all have horror stories about what happens with one of the groups.
Richard
On one side we have Richards (sorry if your name is actually Richard, I think you know where I’m going with the name choice). They are selfish, don’t share or communicate with other team members, make changes directly in production, and don't write anything down.
Mark
Then you have the Marks (again, completely random name selection…). Marks collaborate across teams, give back to the project, communicate frequently, follow processes, and document everything. You want to be like Marks.
But you can’t just hope that you’re put with a client or another partner full of Marks. And the dynamics often aren’t that black and white. There’s no magic wand to ensure a smooth process. Instead, what you need is persistence and processes.
Processes Quiet the Chaos
Platform instances can get crowded and complex in a hurry. And it only gets more complicated if those in that crowded space don’t know who should be doing what or what happens next.
These are just a few of areas in which you should already have a process developed around before diving into a new project.
Development
How do you manage multiple projects?
Where do you develop the work?
Deployment
Who does the deployments?
Who tests the deployments and what all is tested?
What constitutes a rollback?
Crisis Management
Something’s broken, now what?
You need answers to all of these and more, but more importantly, these answers need to be documented. If you don’t write it down, it didn’t happen. Onboarding and offboarding become critical. Make sure to keep an up-to-date onboarding document for new staff to the project and consider a sign off to ensure adherence.
There is no such thing as oversharing here.
Alignment Best Practices
Processes are critical, but there are still people that have to put them into practice, and the way these teams are organized and approach the project is just as vital to the project’s success.
Here are some tips for creating the most productive environment between two or more teams all working to deliver their best work.
Check Your Ego at the Door
This isn’t a competition and your job isn’t to make the other parties look bad. Your job is to make your work and the project a success. If another party is underperforming, that will get noticed and sort itself out over time.
Identify a Primary Group
If everyone is in charge, that means nobody is in charge. The client and agency(ies) must agree on one group to own the project and lead direction. That can only work well if everyone is realistic about their capabilities and capacities.
Meet Regularly
Set up mandatory meetings for all key parties to discuss the roadmap, release cadence, upcoming PTO/holidays, and bring suggestions to improve both the project and the collaboration. Collaborate daily on Slack or, if absolutely necessary, Teams.
Limit Admin Access
Admin access should be limited to a select few at each group, or kept entirely with the primary group. That way you avoid the “needs” that are really “wants” as much as possible. Processes can overcome “I’ve always had access" syndrome.
Look Internally
Sometimes projects fail. I’ve been on both sides of the equation and we often learn more from our failures than our wins. So when things don’t go well, look internally. Was there anything you could have done differently or can do differently in the future?
If you’re a client who’s gone through a lot of partners, is there a common theme you can identify?
You Won’t Fix It All Immediately
You’ve probably heard the saying that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the second best time is now. That’s the mindset you need here. This will take time and doesn’t need to happen overnight, but it does need to happen. Roll some pieces out, measure, monitor, and then adapt to your unique organization’s needs.
And if you need help getting started or for more strategies to be successful, reach out to us at hello@kasamadigital.com.
