One of the most important things you will do as a project manager is talk to developers. Communicating with developers will be part of your job every day and almost every hour. Especially when you are starting out, you will spend a lot of time clarifying updates, asking questions, and following up on progress.

Developers are often deeply focused on their current tasks. They think in terms of code, technical requirements, and problem-solving. When you speak with them, you must approach the conversation with clarity, purpose, and respect for their focus time.

This resource will help you:

1. Understand how developers prefer to communicate
2. Know how to prepare before reaching out to a developer
3. Learn how to ask questions that get helpful answers
4. Avoid misunderstandings

Why it matters

If you communicate poorly with developers, you may:

1. Get vague or incomplete updates
2. Delay project timelines
3. Create frustration and confusion
4. Miss critical issues that could have been resolved early

Good communication helps you:

1. Build trust and rapport
2. Get accurate status reports
3. Keep everyone aligned

Key principles for talking to developers

1. Be Specific About What You Need
   1. Avoid general questions like:
      ❌ “How’s it going?”
   2. Instead, ask:
      ✅ “Is the login feature now working on the staging environment?”
2. Prepare Before Reaching Out
   1. Know what the developer is working on.
   2. Review the Jira ticket, task on the sheet, documentation, or previous updates.
   3. Prepare clear questions or points to clarify.
3. Use Clear and Simple Language
   1. You don’t need to sound technical if you’re not.
   2. Be direct and clear about what you are asking.
   3. Example:
      1. ❌ “Is the API operational on all endpoints?” (if you don’t know what that means)
      2. ✅ “Can you confirm the xyz feature is ready for testing now?”
4. Respect Focus Time
   1. Developers often work in deep concentration (“flow state”).
   2. Avoid interrupting them repeatedly.
   3. Use asynchronous communication — send messages on Slack, WhatsApp, or leave comments on Jira when possible.
5. Clarify Timelines and Expectations
   1. Always confirm when something will be done and what “done” means.
   2. Example:
      1. “Can you confirm this will be ready for review by Friday noon and I will be able to do abc things when I test?”
6. Summarize and Confirm
   1. After every discussion, repeat back what you understood to avoid confusion.
   2. Example: “Just to confirm, you will complete the user registration feature by Thursday, and I’ll get a test link then?”

Sample questions you can use

1. To know the status of a task:
   1. What specific part of the task are you working on right now?
   2. Is there anything blocking your progress?
   3. Are you waiting on any input from the team
2. To know when a task will be done:
   1. When do you expect this task to be completed?
   2. Will this affect the timeline for the next task
3. To understand the update that was shared:
   1. What does “in progress” mean in this case — are you coding, testing, or reviewing?
   2. Can you show me where the issue is happening
4. To follow-up with a task:
   1. Do you need any support to move this forward
   2. When should I check back with you for an update?

Best practices

1. Be polite and respectful —never assume a delay is because of laziness.
2. Be patient — sometimes technical problems take time to solve.
3. Be consistent — check in regularly, but not excessively.
4. Be appreciative —acknowledge their effort.

TL;DR

1. Be specific. Avoid vague questions.
2. Prepare before you talk.
3. Respect their focus time.
4. Clarify timelines and expectations.
5. Summarize and confirm.

By following these principles, you will build stronger relationships with your developers and keep your projects running smoothly.