Recorded 04/24/19

The world of testing is always evolving – software development life-cycles, delivery models and team culture. We see this evolution affecting the way teams are constructed, what skill-sets are required, and the ownership of quality within the organization.

Within DevOps specifically, the focus is on a few key terms like Collaboration, Common Culture, Communication. As testing professionals, we need to adjust how we communicate within our teams and on our projects.

Join us for this panel discussion as we seek to find answers to questions on communication in our current world of testing, and how these critical changes in our profession will need to be addressed going forward.

04/24/19 STP Webinar - Communications in Testing - Questions & Answers:

[Q] My test team in Syracuse NY is part of a product team that include development engineers in Sweden and the Netherlands. We use Jira for bug management, and the Europeans provide very little information about what they’ve done to fix problems and how to enable new functionality. The test team struggles with the “it works at my desk” attitude, compounded by the ocean and time difference between us. How can we encourage our teammates to document more, even though it takes them away from coding?

[A] Angela: Communication is hard, and it takes time and practice to learn what the people around you need for communication! As you pointed out, any difficulties or learning bumps are compounded by remote communication – it can be done well, but it takes more effort to get it right. I think it’s likely there’s also a lot of “shoulder to shoulder” communication happening in their development team, meaning that they discuss among themselves how to solve something or to give status updates.

I think it could be useful to explain what you need, and why it will help you do your jobs more effectively, and let them suggest or try out solutions. That has a benefit of allowing them to take some ownership over improving communication, instead of being handed a prescriptive method by your remote team. And explaining why it helps you do your jobs better means that they can see you’re not just asking for more work “just because”, but that there’s a real reason and a real benefit to it. And be willing to iterate on the solution if it’s not working out for either side! Effective communication takes time and practice, but it will happen. 🙂


Webinar Panelists:

Jane FraserJane Fraser – Test Director, Anki, Inc.
Jane is a software and hardware test engineer/manager with over 20 years of experience in various technologies: Robotics, Mobile Games, Online Games, Casual Games, Social Networking Games, Website QA, E-commerce, Release Management, Desktop Publishing and Word Processing. She currently works at Anki, which is harnessing robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to bring to life consumer products with an unprecedented level of intellect and interactive capabilities. Jane and her team help Anki create consumer experiences using cutting-edge technology that was once confined to robotics labs and research institutes. Independent Certified Coach, Teacher and Speaker with The John Maxwell Team.

Speaker Details:

Twitter: @janecfraser
Facebook: Jane Fraser
LinkedIn: Jane Fraser
Website: Anki
Past Events: STPCon, StarEast, StarWest, StarCanada, Vistacon, GDC

Angela RiggsAngela Riggs – Quality Assurance Engineer, Vacasa
Angela believes that empathy and curiosity are driving forces of quality, and enjoys solving a variety of challenges from this perspective. As a QA Engineer at Vacasa, she works to understand and create quality experiences for the product, engineering teams, and the organization as a whole.

Speaker Details:

Twitter: @AngelaRiggs_
LinkedIn: Angela Riggs
Website: AngelaRiggs.github

Damian SynadinosDamian Synadinos – Founder & Owner, Ineffable Solutions
Damian Synadinos has been helping “build better software and build software better” for more than 25 years. Now, through his company Ineffable Solutions, Damian offers experienced-based and research-hardened talks, training, and consulting that are educational and enjoyable. His experience spans many roles and companies in diverse industries including airline, education, ecommerce, finance, insurance, retail, and commercial realty. Damian also helps organize an annual, regional testing conference, and frequently mentors, coaches, and advises IT professionals around the world. He is an international speaker and trainer, presenting fundamental topics applicable to a wide range of contexts at numerous conferences and corporations. Additionally, Damian has over 10 years of theatrical improv experience and frequently uses applied improv to teach a variety of subjects.

Speaker Details:

Twitter: @DSynadinos
LinkedIn: Damian Synadinos
Website: Ineffable-Solutions.com
Prior Speaking Engagements: Speaking Events