T-Shaped Testing or How to Crucify Your Co-Workers

Unicorn-Talk

Beginner session

Timetable

2:45 p.m.-2:55 p.m.

Thursday 15th

Room

Room F3 - Track 3: Talks

Audience

Primarily Testers who are told they need to be T-shaped and non-testers who want to test well

Key-Learning

- 1. Testing can be more about mentality than method

- 2. A guide is handy to have when trying new things

- 3. Testing should be meaningful in order to be effective

- 4. Being T-Shaped also means helping people be T-Shaped

- 5. Not everyone knows how to test right away

Bridging activities, quick wins and mental methods make T-shaped working feel more collaborative

We hear a lot about how software development today requires T-Shaped people, or professionals who can do work in Business Analysis, Development, and Testing. Generalists in some areas and specialists in one. And it's often a challenge for us to put down our testing hat and pick up the (in some cases) less interesting work around us, and try to think like a BA or Dev.

Imagine how that is for developers and business analysts! Thinking like a tester, looking at their work as if it could fail, wondering seriously if the user would use it in ways entirely unintended... the list of dangers and frustrations are endless. In this way, teammates are often left fluttering in the wind with only the slightest idea of what's requested of them and how they can help the testing process.

In this talk I want to take a journey together to define some bridging activities, some quick wins, and some mental methods in order to make the process smoother and encourage teammates to try out testing more often. While I come with my set of experiences and ideas, attendees are encouraged to add their views, conflicts and methods so that we together can make the process feel less like torture and more like teamwork.

Attendees will get a fun and engaging story about helping other people reach into the testing world without drowning in it, and get the chance to add their experiences, feelings and thoughts to the mix in order to create a new way of working together.