How is it useful to make the distinction between testing and checking? One colleague (let's call him Andrew) recently found it very useful indeed. I've been asked not to reveal his real name or his company, but he has very generously permitted me to tell this story.

He works for a large, globally distributed company, which produces goods and services in a sector not always known for its nimbleness. He's been a test manager with the company for about 10 years. He's had a number of senior managers who have allowed him and his team to take an exploratory approach, almost a skunkworks inside the larger organization. Rather than depending on process manuals and paperwork, he manages by direct interaction and conversation. He hires bright people, trains them, and grants them a fairly high degree of autonomy, balanced by frequent check-ins.