5 documentation habits that make engineering teams successful

In many teams, documentation is an afterthought—until problems arise. The reality is, investing time in clear documentation pays off with improved productivity, smoother onboarding, and easier code maintenance. Here’s how you can upgrade your documentation practices starting today.

Why Documentation Is Your Team’s Best Ally

Lack of proper documentation doesn’t just slow projects down—it introduces confusion, extends onboarding times, and makes code maintenance feel like working with a forgotten language.

Luckily, these problems are fixable 👇

Actionable Steps for Stronger Documentation

1. Create a Documentation Checklist

Why: Ensures consistency and completeness across the team.

How: Before starting a new feature, set a checklist with points like API details, logic explanations, and example inputs/outputs. Use it in code reviews to confirm that documentation matches the code.

2. Integrate Documentation with Code Reviews

Why: Keeps documentation current and thorough.

How: Include documentation as a required part of pull request approvals. No documentation? No merge.

3. Adopt the ‘Explain It Simply’ Rule

Why: Makes documentation more accessible to a broader range of engineers.

How: Write as if explaining to a junior engineer. Avoid jargon where simpler terms suffice. When you explain complex logic, test if a peer can follow it without asking questions.

4. Agree on Rotating Documentation Roles

Why: Encourages team ownership of documentation quality.

How: Assign a different team member each sprint to review and update critical documentation. This promotes shared responsibility and fresh perspectives on clarity.

5. Use Real-World Examples

Why: Helps engineers understand how code behaves in practice.

How: Include example cases that show typical use scenarios and edge cases. Real examples bridge the gap between theory and application.

Quick Wins to Implement Today

• Audit Your Current Docs: Spend 15–30 minutes reviewing a key part of your documentation. Identify outdated sections and make quick updates.
• Add a FAQ Section: Capture commonly asked questions and answers based on recent projects or common issues during development.
• Review One Key Document with a Peer: Pair up with a colleague to read through a critical document and make edits together for clarity and accuracy.
• Schedule 10-Minute Doc Updates Post-Development: Add a brief, mandatory documentation update at the end of development tasks. It ensures no detail is left behind in the rush to complete features.

The Immediate Benefits

Implementing these changes brings tangible improvements:

• Fewer Interruptions: Team members can find answers independently, saving valuable development time.
• Faster Onboarding: Clear, actionable documentation gets new hires up to speed with minimal hand-holding.
• Confidence in Code Reviews: Detailed documentation adds context, allowing reviewers to focus on the logic and standards.

Make It Part of Your Culture

Great documentation doesn’t happen accidentally, it’s built into your processes. Start small, apply these tips, and build from there. Consistent, clear documentation transforms a team from reactive to proactive, turning potential issues into strengths.

Start now: pick one tip and put it into practice today. Whether it’s integrating documentation checks into reviews or adding example cases to your most-used documents, these actions will set your team on a path to lasting improvement.

Cheers,
Gábor