Leading developer productivity initiatives

Improving developer productivity is challenging —it requires careful assessment, prioritization of strategic initiatives, disciplined execution, and thoughtful change management to turn investments into tangible success. However, the hardest part of driving improvement isn’t just execution—it’s changing team behaviors and processes.

For example, whereas optimizing CI can be fully driven and implemented by a central team, initiatives focused on improving areas such as deep work, AI adoption, or overall productivity are dependent on team-level change. But this is difficult because teams often lack the capacity and resources to make changes on their own, and those leading initiatives don’t have direct authority to unblock them.

This guide provides a practical playbook for overcoming those barriers. It outlines a repeatable, six-step process for running successful org-wide productivity initiatives—from identifying opportunities with data to securing executive sponsorship, aligning stakeholders, and driving sustained change through scorecards, operational reviews, and team-level engagement. Whether you’re a platform leader, DevEx champion, or engineering executive, this guide equips you with the tools and examples needed to drive measurable improvement across your organization.