Each software deployment and project has it's own foibles and odd configurations. One thing that is fairly consistent, however, is the fact that you will be working on or with a team. If you have been involved in development on a professional level for any period of time, you have been assigned to or have managed a team.

Those of you working from home - cabling or dialing in - still have to interact with a manager, probably a project manager and/or co-workers. Your compatriots may be spread across the country, dialing in as well, but even so you are only a part of the whole.

Even if you are working quite alone, making up the software as you go, you will eventually have to market it, carry out accounting on the sales and receivables, pay someone to do your taxes, etc. It always adds up to teamwork.

Styles and Soupes du Jour
There are many, many management styles. They are taught in our business schools and books are written about them, giving readers the "quick fixes" for putting a team together. Deming brought team concepts to Japan and they were returned to American management in the guise of quality circles, an Asian team concept. There are those who manage by objective (MBO), by walking around, by committee, by sheer delegation, by micro-management, and some who just let it roll. Some managers choose to believe that all employees are out to rip them off; some managers choose to believe that all people have the inherent desire to be good workers and to do well.

Moderation seems to be the management choice of the day, which proffers the belief that since each employee is different, a single management style is insufficient to cover every situation that a manager will encounter. Some workers need to be ridden hard and watched over carefully, others are much better off being left alone.

Whichever style you have chosen, the following are three key concepts that apply to the management of any team. These aspects of management are the basics of military strategy, necessary to keep an army working well in the field; ultimately, that is what we all are part of, an army in the field.

Supply
Everyone must have the right equipment to do a job. If you are going to accomplish the goals of a software project, you must have the appropriate development tools: the correct version of the software you need, a good database, operating systems, deployment tools, analyzing tools, and a means of measuring it all. You must have the right human resources; it is critical that a team include those who have both the business knowledge and the necessary skills as programmers and analysts. Finally, you must have the correct physical plant, machines, desks, windows, grow lights, cables, and any other required tackle and trim.

If supply lines get cut or money dries up, it can be difficult or impossible to complete the given tasks in a timely manner. All of these supply requirements are logistically necessary to keep the software army in the field well fed and rested, to fight for one more day.

Strategy
A good project manager has to have a development plan, a strategy detailing how it is all going to get done. This means that you must know the extent of your resources and what they are capable of producing. It is impossible to develop a sound strategy without a proper evaluation and accurate knowledge of the resources available to you.

Figuring out exactly what you have to work with is the first step. This knowledge allows you to establish timelines and guidelines, both for the business user awaiting your software and for the developers working on the project.

Once you have the timeline, you should make a charter or project plan. This plan lays out the guidelines for when analysis will take place and what deliverables will come out of the analysis phase (i.e., business flow, system analysis, software choices, communication plan, risk analysis, etc.). Armed with a charter, the project can begin to take shape.

Without a sound and predetermined strategy, it is very difficult for programmers to throw the full weight of their intellect and time into a project; the team must know the lay of the land before the attack can begin. With a good strategy laid out, it is time to implement the plan and get to work.

Administration
You must lead your team. Now that the resources are accounted for and you have a plan laid out, you must take them into the battlefield. In our world, this means encouraging, inspiring, coaching, and evaluating your employees.

You must be able to coach the team as the project moves along. Invariably, team members will run into mine fields, unforeseen difficulties, and competition. You must help guide them past all of these obstacles. This requires you to have both a sound understanding of the business process that you are tackling and the resources to support your developers with answers to their questions.

As you provide them with what they need, you will also have to take account of how well your developers are doing; you will need to give them feedback. Even those stodgy engineer types, who like to work alone and talk to no one, need to know that they are doing well, or poorly. As you evaluate, you will also get a sense of where guidance and coaching is necessary.

Basic Principles
While this three-pronged attack may seem like a very basic plan, it is a sound one. Much of what we do as managers gets fancy labels and names: we try to help "ramp up" for a project so that we can "grow this business." But really, it all falls into these three boxes. Inspire your people just by being there for them and by listening to them some of the time and you will be amazed at the results that become possible.