MoT Masterclass: Tips to Improve Collaboration between Testers and Developers

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Franziska Sauerwein & Maaret Pyhäjärvi

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Who are we?

Franzisoftware crafter

Maaretfeedback fairy

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Tester vs. Developer

Need of Mastery

Focus of Modeling

Focus of Thinking

Tedium and Conflict

Domain knowledge Knowledge of product internals

Model user behavior Model system design

Sceptics Believers

Report problems Understand problems

Source: Adapted from Bret Pettichord. 2000. Testers and Developers Think Differently

We asked around…

Our adviceTips to improve collaboration between testers and

developers

Improving CultureTightened collaborationAppropriate CreditingMaking pairing cross-role comfortable

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Themes of our advice

Improving CultureTips to improve collaboration between testers and

developers

Developers are not always nice to each

other

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Improving culture

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Blameless culture

Treating colleagues with respect

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Improving culture

Unconfident testers working with

overconfident devs?

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Improving culture

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Improving culture

Modern ideals are not evident everywhere

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Improving culture

Feeling safe to fail and safe to learn

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Improving culture

Inviting feedback about testing

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Improving culture

Tightened collaborationTips to improve collaboration between testers and

developers

From adversaries to co-creators to collaborators

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Tightened collaboration

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Tightened collaboration - Adversaries

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Tightened collaboration - Co-Creators

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Tightened collaboration - Collaborators

Work together at all times

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Tightened collaboration

Devs like about testers:

useful business info

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Tightened collaboration

Automation testers: better relationships

with developers

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Tightened collaboration

Appropriate creditingTips to improve collaboration between testers and

developers

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Collaborative crediting

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Collaborative crediting

“Mileva Marić Einstein was a physicist who contributed significantly to his groundbreaking science.”

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/the-forgotten-life-of-einsteins-first-wife/

It takes a village

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Appropriate crediting

Do we need to credit a single

person?

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Appropriate crediting

Celebrate team achievements

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Appropriate crediting

How can developers elevate testers’ contributions?

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Appropriate crediting

Making pairing cross-role comfortableTips to improve collaboration between testers and

developers

Testers remember pairing with a

developer

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Making pairing cross-role comfortable

Stealth pairing even amongst developers

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Making pairing cross-role comfortable

Go in with energy & patience

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Making pairing cross-role comfortable

Task that leaves both successful

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Making pairing cross-role comfortable

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Making pairing cross-role comfortable

Leave your ego behind

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Making pairing cross-role comfortable

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Making pairing cross-role comfortable

How do we give value to each other?

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Summary

Improving CultureTightened collaborationAppropriate CreditingMaking pairing cross-role comfortable

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Summary

Questions?Your contact details

http://dojo.ministryoftesting.com/

Finding problemsHaving a good big picture of feedback they provideTeaching tech tricksLearning about testingBeing fast learnerGetting to teach them somethingClarifying specificationsBeing nice to work withDoing things togetherBeing helpfulBringing feature ideas and following through togetherOptimizing test automation suitesGiving fast feedback, in scope of changeDoing good workRunning through a hard test

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Survey results: Devs will remember testers for….

Testing edge casesClarifying the specificationAsking questionsWorking on feature spanned wider than devsKnowing business requirements thoroughlyBeing always availableBringing in new perspectivesFiltering test results that need developer reactionLearning new things about agile testingTaking wider process responsibilityAutomating testing

...when asking specifically

PairingMaking themselves availableFinding good bugsTesting, differentlyReproducing difficult customer issuesGiving fast feedbackKeeping devs safe in complex worldDoing my jobTesting, wellCompleting a more significant test areaSpeaking up against “authorities”Giving feedback about processesTeaching them

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Survey results: Testers remember devs appreciating….

Talking in level of codeAsking good questionsSynchronizing expectationsSaving them timeGiving them snacksAutomating testingBringing in new ideas

PairingFinding bugs through getting them thinkingBeing asked for help in testingBeing able to tell how to do thingsBeing paid attention toGetting positive feedbackFeeling usefulTeaching them somethingTesting something meaningfulTimely fixingTimely testingHaving a shared project on test automation

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Survey results: Testers will remember devs for….

Seeing things from another viewSharing responsibilityFinding and understanding bugsMaking reproducing bugs easyBeing thoroughBeing team playersDoing specifications and automation collaborativelyPairingAutomating testsImproving process

Tips to improve collaboration between testers and developers

Survey results: Devs enjoy working with testers for...