How do you coordinate work across teams and manage dependencies?

Question

Accepted Answer

Most non-trivial projects depend on other teams, and those dependencies are where delivery most often breaks. A TL's job is to **surface dependencies early, agree on clear contracts, and keep communication flowing** so nobody is blocked by a surprise.

## How to manage dependencies

```text
✓ MAP dependencies early — who do we need, and when?
✓ AGREE on interfaces/contracts up front (API shape, data, timing)
✓ GET commitments, not vibes — a date and an owner, written down
✓ DECOUPLE where possible — mocks/stubs so you're not blocked waiting
✓ Over-communicate — a short weekly sync beats silence
✓ Escalate early — a slipping dependency flagged late is a crisis
```

## A concrete example

Your feature needs an endpoint from the platform team. Don't wait for it. Agree on the API contract this week, build against a mock, and let them deliver in parallel. You integrate when their endpoint lands, instead of sitting idle for three weeks.

## The hard part: no authority

You usually can't *order* another team to prioritize you. You negotiate, build relationships, and make your need visible to the people who *can* set priorities. Influence and goodwill are the levers.

## Why it matters

Cross-team dependencies are the number-one cause of slipped deadlines, and they're invisible until they bite.

A TL who maps and de-risks them early turns a fragile multi-team plan into one that actually ships.