When developers are not on client work, they can be working on internal projects to improve the company. These are our best practices to ensuring that internal projects are run well.
In any organization that juggles multiple internal projects, having clear coordination and allocation of resources is essential. The role of a "Bench Master" helps to achieve this by acting as the broker between the developers and the business. When a developer doesn't know where to go, they can come to the Bench Master for help!
Bench Masters are responsible for ensuring that developers get put on projects that align with the companies goals and the developers' career goals. This means they need to stay aligned with the company' stakeholders and keep them informed of the developers' focus. Bench Masters also help employees blocked by a company stakeholder to get unblocked.
This alignment can be achieved through a weekly meeting with the Bench Masters and stakeholders called the Priority Alignment meeting.
Ensuring that clients see and receive value from work is one of the top jobs of a consultant or employee. Thus, as a manager and team member you should make sure that each day you: