At Command Prompt, we rely heavily on peer review for the success of our clients. We believe that the best quality work is provided when there is no silo and when team work, no matter how much or how little, is a part of the day-to-day. When a group of individuals is encouraged to work together in an effort to provide high quality work and learn from each other, you’re able to find a highly productive environment. Team members are more likely to ask questions, more motivated to provide increased collaboration and will jump into an otherwise assigned urgent situation to offer whatever help they can. It is the ideal work environment, and we believe it all starts with Peer Review.

Peer Review:

Creates higher quality of work

No one can deny that two sets of eyes on an upgrade plan, a batch of code, or a recommended slow query fix will lead to a better result. Oversights are less common, errors are caught before being finalized, and peer discussion leads to reducing the potential risk. Problems are solved before the client is involved. Now imagine having several sets of eyes and a team with various skill sets reviewing, learning, and providing feedback as the plan evolves. The final quality is as close to perfect as possible given the requirements set by the client, simply by having peer review.

Requires ego to be left at the door

When people know that their work will be reviewed by other members of their team, they have a choice: they can participate and learn from the experience, or they can hold their ego close to their chest. Due to the nature of the Open Source industry, there are a lot of people who are more focused on learning than being in a silo. The best way to do that is by working together, reviewing each other’s work, and providing constructive feedback in a respectful manner. It benefits everyone and encourages team members to focus on improvement instead of being egotistical about their work product.

Encourages better work ethic

Requiring work to be reviewed by team members before it goes to a client reinforces accountability and a team focused mindset, which in turn can lead to improved work ethic. It’s not just about doing your 40 and enjoying your weekend. It’s about solving problems and learning together. When peer review is done right, without attitude or defensiveness, team members are enabled to know without a doubt that they provided the best quality work possible, encouraging satisfaction with work and reducing the time it takes to recharge. When work is a place people look forward to going to, work ethic improves.

Instills camaraderie

The more time we spend together, whether editing each others’ work or solving problems, the more camaraderie we will end up with. People naturally seek positive relationships with the people they work with, and when you’re working together consistently, focusing on the quality of what is delivered becomes the main goal. Disagreements and differing opinions can help reveal various sides of the problem, which builds camaraderie and encourages the team to navigate challenging situations with the main goal in mind.

Helps turn engineers into consultants

One of the most impactful things we have done at Command Prompt is bring on Project Managers. This is not only for the benefit of our clients, but for our team. Before work is provided to a client, it must be approved by a Project Manager to ensure effective work product by:

• Ensuring proper grammar
• Ensuring all updates are understandable by the tech team as well as other stakeholders within the company
• Editing for clarity, delivery, and message
• Always having a call to action
• Making sure it is clear where the task is at, what is next, and who is doing what

These simple yet incredibly valuable modifications will help turn engineers into consultants over time. They reinforce an attitude of understanding, consideration, and emphasizes the importance of delivery to the client.

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While shifting to a Peer Review focused business is not without its challenges and overhead, it will provide a better work product and an improved learning environment for your team. It can be a simple or complex process based on the project requirements.

If you have any questions about how to get started, contact us and mention Intrepidus Vita!