Almost every tester experienced the frustration of not being heard. That can manifest with testing trivialized as an activity or testers not being provided with needed information or asked for feedback. That yields frustration, and frustration can make us think about what we can do to change that and gain influence as testers? In this talk, Irja will share how to embrace leadership skills in testing and make them workable in the context of work. Top Takeaways: The audience will learn how leadership skills apply and help to test and how it’s essential to make an effort to gain one within the company.

1. Becoming Heard As A Tester
IRJA STRAUS
November 28th, 2020
@irjastraus

2. WHO AM I?
I’m Irja Straus
A software tester
With experience in:
› business analysis
› product management
Currently:
› Senior Quality Control Analyst Infobip Picture courtesyof Andy Glover, CartoonTester, 2012

3. WHAT WILL I TALK ABOUT TODAY?
› Influence
› What’s the problem with influence?
› How to earn one?

4. INFLUENCE
› Ability to change behaviors of others
› Not forced but earned
Picture courtesy of Scott Adams: „Dilbert Needs To Show Leadership”, December 22, 2014

5. HOW PROBLEM MANIFESTS?
› Testing considered as quick and easy
› Testing not seen as an activity
› Testers not provided with needed information

6. THIS HAPPENED TO YOU?
› Critical problems rejected
› Feedback not accepted
› Quality of testing decreased
It yields frustration.
Frustration made me ask questions...

7. STEP 1: TAKING A LEAD
› Character
› Perspective
› Courage
› Favour
builds respect
enables long-term vision
spreads contagiously
outperforms

8. STEP 2: PUTTING INTO CONTEXT
Episode 1: Build relationships
› Relate with my stakeholders
› Ask how can I help
› Learn what bothers them most
Being aligned helps:
✓ testers provided with information upfront
✓ feedback accepted as relevant

9. STEP 2: PUTTING INTO CONTEXT
Episode 2: Show testing in practice
› Structure techniques and documentation
› Act upon on the feedback
› Speak up about the results for the company
Presenting the practice helps:
✓ testing considered as structured activitiy
✓ testing effort awareness when planning

10. STEP 2: PUTTING INTO CONTEXT
Episode 3: Empowering more skills
› Listen companies needs
› Learn practices from different crafts
› Apply good practices into testing
Providing more services helps:
✓ testers asked for the feedback on product ideas
✓ testing included earlier

11. TAKEAWAYS
• Leadership is influence
to be heard
• Influence can be learned
by empowering more skills
• Influence has to be earned
by listening to companies needs

12. Thank you!
@irjastraus

13. Credits
Icons made by different authors from www.flaticon.com:
› Pixel perfect
› Iconixar
› Becris
› pongsakornRed
Pictures courtesy of:
› Andy Glover, Cartoon Tester
› Scott Addams, Dilbert
@irjastraus