Intelligent testing is a brilliant set of opposites. Is it finding more bugs or enabling brilliant code from start? Is it about frequent and continuous evaluation or being sensitive and pre-empting issues? Is it an act of doing or a state of mind? In this article I relate intelligent testing to Yin & Yang, where the tension of opposites keeps one in the perfect state of balance enabling one to deliver the very best.
As we mature we see more opposites. Find more bugs or prevent by being sensitive? Automate more or use human smartness to do less? Continuous frequent checks or smart minimal tests? Things that seem contrary, creating tension of choice. It is really not a tussle, it is a perfect state of balance.
What is Yin & Yang? Well it is the really opposites that exist.
The FOUR main aspects of Yin & Yang are :
Let us switch to software testing now. What is Yin & Yang in the context of UNDERSTANDING a SUT?
What is Yin & Yang in the context of DESIGNING test cases?
What is Yin & Yang in the context of EVALUATING the SUT?
What is Yin & Yang in the PROCESS of evaluation ?
What is Yin & Yang in the context of the OBJECTIVE of testing?
Philosophically Zero = Infinity Nothing is everything.
The ability to be empty, to be unattached, to be in the moment, no past or future, mindful and observant enables one to deliver great outcomes.
Yin and Yang are not opposing forces, it is the tension to keep you in a perfectly relaxed state.
High Performance QA is about enabling the path to brilliant code, of doing less and accomplishing more. High performance occurs when you articulate crisply, think clearly, organise well and execute nimbly. It requires a high performance mindset that is strong, clear, agile and value oriented.
TWELVE interesting and counter intuitive perspectives to High Performance QA , beyond the typical beaten track of process, technology and skills. The perspectives are organised into FOUR themes of LANGUAGE, THINKING, STRUCTURE & DOING.
#1: LANGUAGE – “the EXPRESSION of problem/solution” High performance communication to exploit power of expression in ’what-we-do’, ‘how-we-do’, ‘how-well-we-have-done’.
#2: THINKING – “the THINKING to solution” High performance thinking is goal focussed, user centric, spatial, approximate, immersive and contextual
3 : STRUCTURE – “the STRUCTURE of elements” High performance structure is about great arrangement, to connect better
#4 DOING – “the act of DOING” High performance execution is about doing less, doing early, staying engaged
These TWELVE interesting articles are laid out in an exclusive page on High Performance QA.Click here to check this out.
Process & Practice – Two interesting words, what are their roles in SmartQA? Well Process is about the sequence of activities to be performed and expected outcomes, along with who-to-do-what. This helps us to be consistent and efficient. On the other hand Practice is about skills that enable the various activities to be effectively. Where do tools come in? Well in both – to plan, track, manage, do and also analyse.
“You cannot validate if you do not know how it is constructed and what it is doing. A deep understanding of architecture in deployment is probably more necessary for today’s validation teams.“ says Jawahar Sabapathy in the crisp 90-second smartbits video Should I know the architecture to test?.
Want to be a successful leader? Let animals be your guide. Assemble varied skills to build a great team. Let good techniques and methodical action unleash the power. Watch progress and steer continuously. Be confident. Make decisions. Enable each individual to unleash their full potential. Finally enjoy the journey.
I have been a great fan of Dr Goldratt having read all this books, my favourite being his first book “The Goal”. This book “Necessary but not Sufficient” is written as a “business novel” and shows the fictional application of the Theory of Constraints to Enterprise resource planning (ERP) and operations software and organizations using that software.
Summary High Performance QA is about enabling the path to brilliant code, of doing lessand accomplishing more. High performance occurs when you articulate crisply, think clearly, organise well & execute nimbly. It requires a high performance mindset that is strong, clear, agile and value oriented.
TWELVE interesting and counter intuitive perspectives to High Performance QA , beyond the typical beaten track of process, technology and skills. The perspectives are organised into FOUR themes of LANGUAGE, THINKING, STRUCTURE & DOING.
CLICK HERE to go to the special page on High Performance QA. A summary of each of these articles is listed below under these FOUR themes.
Theme #1: LANGUAGE – “the EXPRESSION of problem/solution” High performance communication to exploit power of expression in ’what-we-do’, ‘how-we-do’, ‘how-well-we-have-done’.
(1)High performance thinking using the power of language Here I outline how various styles of writing, various sentence constructs & sentence types play a key role in the activities we do, as a producer of brilliant code from the QA angle. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
(2)Three communication approaches to brilliant clarity Here I outline three communication approaches of storytelling(descriptive), rules/criteria(prescriptive) and visual that play a key role in activities we do as a producer of brilliant code, from QA angle. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
(3) To express well, choose the right medium Here I explore the role of medium to expressing a thought/idea. A frictionless paper medium is very suited for early stage ideas whilst a strict template/tool is more suited for capturing ideas fully and clearly. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
Theme #2: THINKING – “the THINKING to solution” High performance thinking is goal focussed, user centric, spatial, approximate, immersive and contextual
(4) Left brain thinking to building great code In this article I examine how a logical ‘left brained’ thinking plays a key role in the activities we do, as a producer of brilliant code from the QA angle. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
(5) It takes right brain thinking to go beyond the left Here I examine how a creative ‘right brained’ thinking enables us to go beyond what we do with logical thinking to discover new paths or discard potential ineffective paths of application to improve outcomes to deliver brilliant code.CLICK HERE to read the full article.
(6) Ultimate power is in the “empty” middle In this article I examine the infinite power that we have, which is neither in the left or right brained thinking but in the space of middle, the silence when one is absolutely mindful. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
Theme #3: STRUCTURE- “the STRUCTURE of elements” High performance structure is about great arrangement, to connect better
(7) The Power of Geometry In this article I outline how structure(or organisation) of elements plays a key to doing more with less. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
(8) The 4W to structuring a problem well Here I examine how a great arrangement of various elements of system-under-test enables one to see the problem clearly in terms of facts and questions and set the stage for efficient evaluation.CLICK HERE to read the full article.
(9) 10 ways to smartly organise test assets In this article I examine how organisation of test assets (test scenarios and cases) plays a significant role in the effectiveness and efficiency of testing. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
Theme #4 DOING – “the act of DOING” High performance execution is about doing less, doing early , staying engaged
(10) Doing less and accomplishing more Here I analyse as to what it takes to do less and accomplish more by not doing at all, by doing early, by doing what is only necessary and finally delegating the act of doing to tools. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
(11) Move rapidly by doing less In thisarticle I outline how the act of execution can also be speeded up by use of a smart checklist, which provides a significant intellectual leverage to how we do. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
(12) Stay engaged and do brilliantly In this article I outline how staying engaged by being mindful can significantly enhance session based testing in an ‘immersive’ manner, and introducing “Immersive Session Testing”. CLICK HERE to read the full article.
All these are laid out beautifully in an exclusive page on High Performance QA. CLICK HERE to see go there.
( In this SmartBits, Sriramadesikan Santhanam outlines “QA skills for digital world“. The video is at the end of this blog)
Skills and competencies are most important. One needs
to understand that it is not just the business or it’s not just the technology,
it is both. One needs to acquire multiple skills. One needs to understand what the customer is going to use this
product for, how is it getting implemented, the expectations of the various end
users’,
and their perspectives.
Acquire those skills and competency to understand
these. That’s what I advise – try to understand what customers are looking for,
what their customers are seeking, and then finally what the end users are
looking, for then only one will be able to test from their shoes.
We as QA people need to understand the customer’s program objectives also, that is most important. Only then will be able to align to their expectations and understand why they are making these changes and appreciate the impact/uplift they’re looking out from modern technologies.
The change in skill requirements are: In addition to knowing about technology, to be able test to meet customer program objectives. Many times in the product world, people wouldn’t have seen how people are really using it, are we aligned to them? Testers now have to have good tech/dev skills, and also have business analysis skills too.
( In this SmartBits, Sriramadesikan Santhanam outlines “Enterprise Customers & Quality“. The video is at the end of this blog)
There is a change in the perspective of quality,
measurements/KPIs for QA teams that deliver productised solutions to large
enterprise customers. When we develop a product all the KPI’s around the product features are based on the features committed, in
terms of code coverage, test coverage, defect density etc.
In a typical product life cycle that is the kind of
the KPI we should look at, but when we implement it as a solution, then it is
customized to customer’s specific business requirements. So the KPI’s need to
be aligned with customer specific expectations. Then when we put it up and roll
it out to their end customers, it is a program for them.
How the whole integration is really working, the end-to-end business flows, how the customers look at it from user experience, operational efficiency and ease of use should be the basis of the KPIs now. So definitely it changes from KPIs from program to project to the product. When we start with the product and well begin with the program, KPIs should definitely changes, being in line with customer’s expectations.
( In this SmartBits, Sriramadesikan Santhanam outlines “Enterprise Customers & Quality“. The video is at the end of this blog)
Expectations are getting changed due to the disruptive nature of technology. Most of the people in some domains are on legacy platforms. Moving onto a digital platform definitely changes the role of QA, this needs to be planned. The technology change cannot be done abruptly because this is costing them. Whenever we plan to make any changes to our customers expectations, it has to be aligned to their business programs.
The most important aspect is how successfully QA will
allow running the programs for them. Does it have less risks associated when
they move from legacy
to new modern platforms?
We are talking about business issues occurring on the field. The most important is the field quality. How much defects are we able to reduce in the field quality when we make changes to them?
Many years ago, we went on a holiday to Masai Mara, a lovely 1510 square km game reserve in Kenya. Here the animals are free in their natural habitat whilst humans are inside open top jeeps. Seeing the Big-5 (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant & Wildebeest) and others in close quarters was just wonderful. Observing their behaviour and mannerisms at close quarters was not only enjoyable, but educational.
A quick summary of lessons in leadership that I learnt from them – “Assemble varied skills to build a great team. Let good techniques and methodical action unleash the power. Watch progress and steer continuously. Be confident. Make decisions. Enable each individual to unleash their full potential. And enjoy the journey.”
“You cannot validate if you do not how it is constructed and what it is doing. A deep understanding of architecture in deployment is probably more necessary for today’s validation teams.“ says Jawahar Sabapathy in this week’s crisp 90-second smartbits video Should I know the architecture to test?.
Want to be a successful leader? Let animals be your guide. Assemble varied skills to build a great team. Let good techniques and methodical action unleash the power. Watch progress and steer continuously. Be confident. Make decisions. Enable each individual to unleash their full potential. Finally enjoy the journey.
Want to be a successful leader? Let animals be your guide. Assemble varied skills to build a great team. Let good techniques and methodical action unleash the power. Watch progress and steer continuously. Be confident. Make decisions. Enable each individual to unleash their full potential. Finally enjoy the journey.
Many years ago, we went on a holiday to Masai Mara, a lovely 1510 square km game reserve in Kenya. Here the animals are free in their natural habitat whilst humans are inside open top jeeps. Seeing the Big-5 (Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Wildebeest) and others in close quarters was just wonderful. Observing their behaviour, mannerisms at close quarters was not only enjoyable, but educational. Here is what I learnt about leadership from these wonderful creatures.
Lions after a kill
The Lions
A lion is busy eating a fresh kill of wildebeest whilst a cackle of hyenas sit a little distance away patiently waiting for the lion to finish. Once the lion is satiated and moves away to rest, the hungry Hyenas will finish the rest. Their teeth are so powerful that they can crush the bones. At another place a wake of vultures are fighting fiercely to eat the remains of a carcass killed by a lioness. In nature, nothing is left to waste , for each animal is specialised in its contribution to the nature’s eco-system cycle. A wildebeest is a big animal and it is a shame to waste anything at all. The Hyenas don’t mess with the lion nor do the vultures with lioness or with any other animals.
Leadership lesson: It takes multiple skills to get a job done well. Each facet of work requires varied intelligence and power; understanding this and abiding your time patiently is key to being successful. So in your team, who is the Lion(ess), Hyena, Vulture…? Each one of them is important, there is nothing superior or inferior.
Leopard eating his meal
The Leopard
A Leopard had dragged up a young waterbuck up the tree, suspended it precisely on a branch with body resting on branch and legs hanging down. It then went about methodically tearing up the rear with its canines. Though gruesome and sad, it was interesting to see the leopard periodically adjusting the dead animal on the branch as it progressed methodically with its job of eating.
Leadership lesson: The Leopard is a very powerful animal, with its sheer speed and power it can snare any animal. To ultimately accomplish its goal of satisfying its hunger, it must secure the dead animal, which it does by dragging the animal up the tree and then eating it by doing it methodically, tearing from the rear. What do we learn this? In addition to having a powerful team, it is necessary to employ powerful techniques and great processes to ensure that the job is well done. Power is best extracted by using great techniques and then going about it systematically.
The majestic Giraffes
The Giraffe
A herd of giraffes are moving majestically, absolutely elegant movements as they peacefully chomp on leaves off a tree top. Giraffe by virtue of its height and its distinctive coat is indeed a majestic animal. They are not shy at all. One of them walked to our vehicle confidently, stopped, looked at us without any hint of fear and then strutted away. The movements were peaceful and seemingly unhurried. On a different note, it is interesting how a giraffe walks- Both the legs on one side go forward and then the next side go forward, very unlike the other animals where front and rear are in sync.
Leadership lesson: The majestic appearance oozing confidence, fearless attitude, grace and elegance are traits that make a leader successful. And the team will do anything to ensure that the leader stands tall always.
The nimble Zebras
The Zebras
The vast African Savannah is filled with Zebras, beautiful they are with a shiny coat and beautiful stripes of black and white. They are an easy prey for the lions. Their excellent sense of sight and hearing coupled with their acute sense of smell enables them to detect danger which they nimbly respond to, by quickly running away. Their legs are so strong that a just a kick can kill the animal.
Leadership lesson : To survive/course-correct, it requires one to continuously measure (aka smell/watch) and respond nimbly to steer to safe places. Not only is sufficient to know the danger, but it is imperative to have enough power to move away quickly.
Hippopotamus powerful and relaxed
The Hippos
Hippopotamus relaxing in the water seem to be the most lethargic animals. They seem to spend the entire day relaxing in the pool when not eating grass. But do you know that Hippos are the second largest killers of humans? They are not carnivores, they attack only to protect. Their strong bite can kill humans.
Leadership lesson : Each one of us possess enormous power.It is dormant most of the time, the key is unleashing it. A great leader should be able to spot this in others and enable them to unleash it.
The happy Warthogs
The Warthog
These animals were the most interesting. Belonging to the same family of pigs, these herbivores were constantly running, seemingly for the sheer joy of it. Enjoying themselves just running across the vast expanse. They stop suddenly only to recommence in a short while. It was sheer joy to see these “pigs with tusks” run despite no threats from other animals.
Leadership lesson: Explore. Be curious. Enjoy. To unleash your full potential, you need to be unbounded and enjoy the flow.
The Wildebeest
Masai Mara is famous for the crossing where over a million wildebeest cross over from Tanzania to Kenya and vice versa. Our trip was close to the end of ‘crossing season’. Keen to see the action up close, we went to the river Mara where the crossing occurs. And there it was, a group of wildebeests on the other side of river deciding on what to do – ‘cross or not to cross’. Upstream, nearly a kilometre ahead, a crocodile was basking on the rock while a couple of them were gently floating on water, just their tops visible on the surface, a nemesis for these crossing animals.
The wildebeests are still trying to decide, one of them pushes the other into the river, but that guy does not go any further. In fact he turns back. Then they stand still for a few minutes, one of them goes into the water and then turns back. Suddenly some of them run into the water with some running on the banks, coming to a dead stop after some time. They do nothing, each of them just stand still, waiting for the other to decide. None of them take the next step. One of them on bank is fed up and decides that he has had enough of this indecision and heads back to land. He climbs the mud embankment into the high land as he climbs, a few follow suit. One by one, others follow suit. The decision has been made, they are not going to cross now. The animals that were standstill a moment ago due to indecision are rapidly moving away following the first one to the high land.
Leadership lesson: We all suffer from indecision and do possess herd mentality. A good leader takes decision and confidently goes ahead and the team follows. Not all decisions may indeed be right, but taking a decision is indeed superior to not doing anything.
I hope you enjoyed the educational tour of the Savannah! Want to be a successful leader? Let animals be your guide.
Assemble varied skills to build a great team. Let good techniques and methodical action unleash the power. Watch progress and steer continuously. Be confident. Make decisions. Enable each individual to unleash their full potential. And enjoy the journey.
(In this SmartBits, Jawahar Sabapathy outlines “Should I know the architecture to test?“. The video is at the end of this blog)
I think it is a given. You cannot validate if you do not how it is constructed and what it is doing. One has to validate the normal functionality, in the case of vehicle, when the road is good and when it is real bumpy and bad. Hence I need to know under what operating conditions that the vehicle can actually be performing correctly and how it is built. For example if the vehicle has tubeless tyres, we may have to test it differently.
The same is applicable to software construction, so when we deliver on a high availability or scaling, the mechanism that is used must be known so that we can actually simulate those minimum- maximum outlier conditions and see that it is working in those conditions or not. At the least we should know and document it. So a deeper understanding of architecture in deployment is probably more necessary for today’s validation teams.
Rich UI applications seem to pose a challenge. Not just for automation but also also for coverage/completeness. There seems to be a lot to do, creating doubts like “Am I complete? Am I testing enough?” especially the functional tests. Why does complex UI faze a tester? Is it possibly the inability to see beyond the UI, the inability to question beyond the obvious? This week’s beEnriched article looks at how the design concepts ‘coupling & cohesion’ could be be applied to decompose a rich UI to test effectively and efficiently – “Simplifying rich UI testing“.
UI biases one to act. To check.
Headless forces thinking. To dig in.
Great quality is about ‘WHAT-ifs’.
This week’s poster.
“General purpose SW engineering skill is on its way to becoming extinct. Develop specialized in automation, in “-ities” testing. Learn technology.” This is the advice that Sudhir Patnaik outlines in this week’s smartbits – “Advice for career growth“.
Why does a complex UI faze a tester? Is it possibly the inability to see beyond the UI, the inability to question beyond the obvious? Too many test cases, the overwhelming feeling that scientific modelling & design cannot be practised due to time constraints are some of the issues.
