"He was going to give them law and order or die trying." This tag line from the 1973 version of Walking Tall is very telling. Being asked to single-handedly clean up the development town can come with great sacrifice to a QA manager. The quality cop school of testing is an extremely dangerous place to live.
In 2004 Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson played Chris Vaughn and this tag line was born, "One man will stand up for what's right." Often testers and test leaders do find themselves in a position to advocate for what it right. Testers have to gather evidence and build a strong case as to why things are not right.
Testers put up with a lot of stuff, but in the end a QA Manager should walk tall. Walking tall does not mean you have to carry the big solid 2 x 4. In the testing world walking tall is leading collaboration, pointing out areas for improvement, mentoring others, and providing solutions. Testing might be a lot easier if we all had abdominal muscles like "The Rock"!
Metrics can become the 2 x 4 for a QA Manager. Do you simply communicate the numbers or do you communicate the numbers aligned with the development team. Just communicating the numbers does not seem to have influence or power. Calling out the responsible teams is very close to carrying the 2 x 4. Using a big stick against an over bearing sheriff or amphetamine running mobsters is one thing. Using a 2 x 4 against over worked, well intended developers is something completely different.
Placing metrics on a bill board in the center of Downtown development will open some eyes. The data will cause angst. The intention is to use these data as a spotlight and a vehicle toward continuous improvement.
Kaizen and Peace!
1 comment:
My cousin recommended this blog and she was totally right keep up the fantastic work!
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