This is exactly why it’s so important to choose a contractor with whom we’re able to find the right "chemistry". We have to understand each other well and be able to communicate difficult information to each other.
But how should you choose such a partner? It’s easy to send in a good salesperson who’s great at selling, and then in practice the people actually working on the project won’t be so easy to get along with. An organisation’s values and its people go hand-in-hand. It may sound like a truism, but if an organisation doesn’t have its values defined, there’s no chance that it will apply them in practice.
It’s best to check this out through conversation. At the offer selection stage, try to talk to as many people on the team as possible. This doesn’t mean that at this stage you’ll be able to meet the exact people who will be working on your project – good specialists are worth waiting for – but it will allow you to get to know the mood in the organisation. See if everyone is more or less on the same page. Ask about values.
This is why it’s worth comparing offers from different contractors; in addition to the price, also check their approach to cooperation. Remember – you’re choosing a partner for years of cooperation. During this time, the person running your project or the programmers may change, but if there’s a healthy culture in the organisation, each subsequent person will be at least as good.
A healthy organisational culture also has another very positive effect. Programmers are not treated there as keyboard operators, but rather as independent, creative individuals. Only this perspective allows creative people to implement exciting new ideas, to move outside the comfort zone. This will make your product look better "under the hood" and you won’t be left behind. Any ideas that you have for changes won’t be a problem (because "the code is old and nobody wants to touch it"), but a new and interesting challenge.
A committed team from a software company of choice will give 120% at work and will also use this strength to drive your project forward.