“How can I get my external partners to talk more?” “Why didn’t my external partners understand my feedback?” “Why are my external partners so direct in their communication?”
In any external development collaboration, communication is crucial in establishing alignment and creating deeper relationships. However, working with teams from different cultures and geographical locations post new trials for the local teams. Common challenges are getting the external partners to engage in open communication as well as maneuvering around differences in language comprehension, working principles, thought processes and comfort levels. Many times, even best practices that enhance effective communication such as proper documentations and clear roadmaps are overlooked.
One of the keys to success in any external development partnership is to overcome communication barriers to allow the game dev team and their external partners to build trust and cultivate a safe & effective work environment. Conflict arises when there are assumptions that others think and operate like them. Setting a clear expectation early on eliminates misunderstanding and unnecessary conflicts. Important part of this effort when dealing with global partnership is having a deeper comprehension of the differences between cultures that adhere to lateral and hierarchical leadership so there is a context of how these societies function, make decisions and why. This understanding will not only provide insights into the areas that need improvements within the external engagements and healthier ways to adapt when working with a different culture, it will also develop respect and empathy among the game dev team and their external partners, eventually leading to a seamless collaboration even when the work itself is challenging.
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