Critical thinking is important for testers as it helps them challenge assumptions, gather evidence to prove or disprove assumptions, and ask questions to improve their understanding. It is important for testers to think like a "Thinking Tester" by challenging beliefs, trying new things without fear of failure, seeing testing as an experiment to gather insights, and improving the product and project. When gathering data through questions, testers should understand stakeholders, consider different perspectives, and make it a collaborative and fun process. When analyzing data, testers should look at issues from different angles, understand limitations and biases, and determine root causes and risks. As consultants, testers need to apply critical thinking carefully and avoid antagonizing clients, while still facilitating

1. Critical Thinking for Consultants
How to get answers to hard questions without
being too annoying. You will need to be quite
annoying. If there is shouting and/or physical
violence, you’ve gone too far. I know, I dance
along the line of annoyance on a daily basis.
Or

2. Breaking the ice....
So far this week:
• How many of you have challenged a
commonly held assumption in your
industry/area of expertise?
• How many of you have proved an assumption
made on your project to be true or false using
quantitative or qualitative evidence?
• How many of you have asked someone to
explain a term they have used?

3. What is it anyway? Surely I should learn
Java or something instead?
Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skilfully
conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information
gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or
communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based
on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity,
accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth,
breadth, and fairness.
That’s a bit much. Its really about asking
questions. I prefer.........
The right of a human to ask really stupid or really clever questions, as themselves
or as someone else, about whatever the subject is, is not, could or should be, at
precisely the right or precisely the wrong time, depending on who (or what) the
question is aimed at.

4. Why is it so important to us testers? To put it
another way. Are you a......
Thinking skills (inside or outside of boxes) are what set great
testers apart from a good testers.
Zombie Tester?
-Embarrassed to say when you don’t
understand something.
-Accept the decisions made around you
without a peep, even when you think its
flawed or plain misguided.
-Paralysed by a lack of functional or
technical documentation. Willing to ‘sit
tight’ until documentation appears. Which
is rare.
-Write tests which don’t really prove
anything, as long as they follow
requirements.
-Use the same tools and techniques for
every problem and rarely reach outside of
your comfort zone.
Thinking Tester?
-Read/write/talk/argue about testing
based on an opinion formed within the
confines of your own brain, given voice
in the wider world to be challenged.
-Challenge assumptions and commonly
held beliefs.
-Try something new, without fear of
failure, knowing that you will learn
something regardless.
-See testing as experimentation, to
gather insight and information.
-Actively improves the business value of
the product and contributes to the
overall success of the project.

5. So you want me to ask questions.
How do I get started?
Techniques to Gather Data

6. Know your target audience....
• Really sorry in advance, you’ll need to speak to people. I know, I know you
didn’t get into IT so you would have to deal with humans.
• Who are the actors/stakeholders?
• What do they want?
• What do they need?
• What do they fear?
• What is the number one thing that motivates them? Make them choose!
• How do they react when they don’t get what they want?
• Are they invested or just interested?
• Are they positive influences or negative influences?
• Do they want change? Or do they resist?
• Are they open to new ideas? Or have they made their minds up?
• Put yourself in their shoes when asking/answering questions. Not literally.

7. Know your heuristics.... Key part of your
testers toolkit:
•Building knowledge
collaboratively, not
just locked in a
document.
•Get stakeholders
involved, more than
just your brain in gear.
•Looking at risk as a
group and applying
thought to test
coverage
•Teach you how to
solve non linear
problems. Such as no
requirements being
available, knowledge
locked in peoples
heads etc....

8. Turn it into a game....
• Critical thinking does not have to be a super serious
scientific endeavour. Get a group together and have
some fun with the issue at hand.
• Tour guide for an alien:
Explain to someone with no appreciation of the basic tenets of the issue at
hand. Challenges all the concepts associated with a system under test for
example, as no knowledge is assumed at all.
• Fact or fiction:
Lots of people make statements about a product or system. Prove them
right or wrong, as your sources of information bring both conscious and
subconscious agendas.

9. I’ve asked loads of questions,
now what?
Techniques to Analyse Data

10. Change the angle of approach..
• Number 1 piece of advice!
• Consider the horizontal and vertical aspects of the issue at hand.
• If the linear doesn’t tell you anything, try the non linear.
• Remember your limitations – who you asked, how their needs and wants
skew your data, your own bias gets in the way too!
• Scale up and down with your analysis – helicopter and in the weeds.
• Ask what would happen if we didn’t test this. What would the impact be?
• Ask what the ideal resolution to an issue or challenge is. Remove peoples
minds/your own mind from the day to day.
• This is a key facilitation technique – if the conversation is blocked, change
the angle!

11. Get to the heart of the matter...
Root Cause Analysis Full Spectrum Thinking
Cause and Effect Get to Know Your Risk

12. Now, the bit for us Consultancy types
• Critical Thinking can be seen as:
– Annoying
– Obstructive
– Counter-productive
• Some clients will love it!
• Some clients will hate it. And you for doing it.
• Some clients will tell you they love it and secretly hate
you for doing it.
• Some people will think you are picking on them, if you
constantly question their ideas and motivations.

13. Deliver evenly, without relish...
• No maniacal smiles while you deliver yet
another hammer blow to someone’s
confidence.
• Remember, people are inherently irrational,
try and provoke thoughtful responses, not
negative ones.
• Be a facilitator, you want the information and
the right result, not to impose your will on
others.

14. Get your timing right.....
• It doesn’t mean
procrastinate over
every decision! Balance
thought with action.
• Big stupid questions at
the start of the project
please, when there is
(real) scope to do
something about it.
• If you don’t know
something, speak up!
• Don’t wait until........

15. Questions? I
should hope
so, if not I'll
be very
judgmental.