Communication breakdowns are a primary cause of IT project failure. Marcia Buzzella believes increasing the success rate of IT projects across waterfall, Agile, and DevOps methods requires a balance of social (soft) and technical (hard) capabilities to improve team performance. Social interactions among team members facilitate knowledge sharing, build relationships, promote trust, and—perhaps most importantly—align expectations. Unfortunately, the fast pace of technological change prompts many software test professionals to prioritize the improvement of technical capabilities over sharpening soft skills. By strengthening individual social capabilities, testers can transform how testing activities are perceived and help stakeholders understand how testing objectives support overall project goals. Join Marcia to explore how communication, adaptability, and problem-solving capabilities help software test professionals overcome the challenges of aggressive timelines and shifting requirements. Learn how including soft skill objectives in your personal development goals, talent acquisition plans, and feedback processes promotes IT project success. Come discover the softer side of software testing.

1.
T11
Personal
Excellence
10/5/17
11:15
Social
Skills:
The
Softer
Side
of
Software
Testing
Presented
by:
Marcia
Buzzella
CSAA
Insurance
Group
Brought
to
you
by:
350
Corporate
Way,
Suite
400,
Orange
Park,
FL
32073
888-­‐-­‐-­‐268-­‐-­‐-­‐8770
·∙·∙
904-­‐-­‐-­‐278-­‐-­‐-­‐0524
-­‐
info@techwell.com
-­‐
http://www.starwest.techwell.com/

2.
Marcia
Buzzella
CSAA
Insurance
Group
Originally
focused
on
becoming
an
accountant,
Marcia
Buzzella
shifted
gears
and
twenty
years
ago
applied
her
passion
for
quality
and
details
to
the
art
of
software
testing.
She
is
now
the
testing
practice
leader
at
CSAA
Insurance
Group,
where
she
manages
the
creation
and
maintenance
of
testing
standards,
builds
trusted
partner
relationships,
oversees
staff
augmentation
resources,
and
owns
the
design
and
delivery
of
enterprise
test
data
management
services.
As
a
leadership
scholar-­‐practitioner
and
strengths
coach,
Marcia
enjoys
using
her
knowledge,
attention
to
detail,
and
inquisitive
nature
to
collaboratively
solve
problems,
set
objectives,
deliver
results,
and
help
others
be
successful.
Connect
with
Marcia
on
LinkedIn.

3. 1
SOCIAL SKILLS
The Softer Side of Software Testing
DR. MARCIA BUZZELLA
STARWEST – OCTOBER 2017
“ADDING
MANPOWER TO A
LATE SOFTWARE
PROJECT MAKES
IT LATER.”
Brooks, F. P. (1975). The mythical man-month: Essays on software engineering. Boston, MA, Addison-Wesley.
Brooks, F. P. (1995). Mythical man-month, the: Essays on software engineering, anniversary edition. Boston, MA, Addison-Wesley Longman, Inc.

4. 2
PROJECT FAILURE
PERFORMANCE
Communication Breakdown
Social
Skills
Technical
Skills

5. 3
SUCCESS
• Scope
• Budget
• Schedule
• Quality
• Usability
Desired by
whom?

6. 4
SOCIOTECHNICAL
SYSTEM
PROJECT SUCCESS
Technical
Skills
Social
Skills
PERFORMANCE

7. 5
How do the SOCIAL SKILLS of
software test professionals AFFECT
the SUCCESS of IT projects?
Communication
Coordination
Interpersonal
Problem-Solving
Organizational
Adaptability
Supportiveness
Teamwork

8. 6
SOCIAL SKILL ANALYSIS
• All 8 Social Skills Deemed Relevant
• Social Skill Training Not Prioritized
§ One individual attended one class in last 5
years
§ Only one individual planned to take a social
skill training class in the next 12 months
SOCIAL SKILL ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS
ü Communication
ü Problem-Solving
ü Adaptability
OPPORTUNITIES
o Assertiveness
o Communication
Across Roles and
Levels

9. 7
Social interactions
enable us to ASSESS
situations and
COURSE CORRECT
in ways machines
cannot.
CHALLENGES FACED
• Aggressive Due Dates
• Shrinking Timelines
• Scope Creep
• Ambiguous / Changing Requirements
(NOT)

10. 8
WHY WE NEED SOCIAL SKILLS
• Align Expectations
• Promote Trust
• Enable Knowledge Sharing
• Establish Definitions of
Success
Balance
Boosts
Performance
DEVELOPING SOCIAL SKILLS
INDIVIDUALS
• Set Aside Time to Practice
• Try Something New
• Attend a Training Class

11. 9
DEVELOPING SOCIAL SKILLS
MANAGERS
• Be Supportive
• Provide Recognition and Feedback
• Promote Training Opportunities
• Set Expectations (Interviews & Evaluations)
How do the SOCIAL SKILLS of
software test professionals AFFECT
the SUCCESS of IT projects?
• Dedication to Delivery
• Tactical Communication
• Accommodating Shifting Scope &
Reduced Timelines
• Creative Technical Solutions

12. 10
How do the SOCIAL SKILLS of
software test professionals AFFECT
the SUCCESS of IT projects?
Software test professionals
use SOCIAL SKILLS to
MINIMIZE RISK &
IMPROVE QUALITY
during IT Projects.
SYSTEMS EVOLVE
• Team Composition
• Desired Goals
• Collective Abilities
• Technological Advancements
Social Skill
Training is NOT
Once & Done!

13. 11
QUESTIONS
CONTACT INFORMATION
marciabuzzella@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/marciabuzzella
@MarciaBuzzella
www.marciabuzzella.com