Lessons I learned yesterday about communication skills
Submitted by Ainars Galvans on Wed, 15/08/2007 - 12:09.
general software testing | people issues
Yesterday I had opportunity to use all my problem solving skills. Later at home while casually watching some TV series I learned a lesson from this experience: I wouldn’t make it without involving the right people in a right way… so it appears people skills are part of problem solving skills.
Read on whole story extended with some generalization about how people learn lessons
Doctor House (from TV Series) – exploratory tester
Let me tell you the story “backward”. Have you seen series about Doctor House? I seldom watch it as my wife likes it a lot and it is one of a few series I don’t hate, because House reminds me of exploratory testing and myself doing it. He is the most respected doctor in a clinic because of his ability to diagnose (not because his skills using scalpel). How he does it? He always keeps searching for clues, with or without the owner’s (patient’s) permission. And he does it in exploratory way.
So what I learned from this movie? There was one thing in the series I was always missing – despite being cynical House has perfect people skills. He is able to involve his team into the problem solving, intrigue them and let them do things for him. He is using respect to do things “without owner’s permission”, and much more.
My problem solving story
So there is a legacy application that certified by it’s vendor to work with MS SQL 2000, but not with MS SQL 2005, simply because at a time it was developed before year 2005. I was tasked to do light testing on MS SQL 2005, because there are no reasons it should not work on, but the customer strongly insist upgrading on MS SQL 2005 due to corporate reasons. So I start to test and the first component that creates tables in database does not work. I don’t give up and at MS that beginning in SQL Server 2005, each object belongs to a database schema (instead of a user). While installation instructions say that that is required to have a user named some_hardcoded_name, it become clear that we need to create a schema of the same name. Unfortunately I have no admin right for that database, but admin is on vacation. I’ve found another colleague (developer, who likes solve problems) who got the admin rights. I don’t just tell him that I need a schema, I tell him whole story and he feels involved into problem solving. Neither of us have ever created any schema in MS SQL 2005 so after the first few attempts the application is reporting another error and I want to give up (and wait for dba), but the colleague not takes initiative and solve the issue. We both feel good as we both contributed to solving the issue. And I know this colleague is going to help me next time if I don’t abuse his help…
But this is something I only realized while watching House. At work, when I completed light testing I spend last half hour working on my conference presentation. Only today I started this blog.
More on lesson learning
Well this is something I wanted to write about for quite some time already. Mostly because my next conference presentation titled begins with Lessons learned. I wonder what is the reason to share lessons I have learned. I remember I had the same resistance when first seen title of the book Lessons learned in software testing . I now refer to this book as the best book about testing. However, I still believe that people are only able to learn from their own experiences: from their own mistakes and their own achievements.
I have realized something however now as I watch my 2 years old son learning what’s good and what’s bad – yes we learn from our own experience but we need to recognize the mistakes and achievements. And it is not as simple as it may seem. Fairy tales are designed to help a child to recognize what’s good and what’s evil. Books, songs and movies may help adults to recognize achievement, underachievement and failures in their own practice. They can’t teach you to live but could help to you analyze how, what and why you did or didn’t.
Summary: the lessons I learned
I could and list the lessons I learned yesterday. However it was only possible to learn them thanks to weeks, days even years of experience that I bring with myself. Yesterday I simply realized few of my achievements. This realization will help me to promote them and in my further practice. I don’t believe you could learn anything yourself by simply reading the list. You have to look at your experience for similar achievements and if not – ask why? So the lessons:
Find colleagues with an influence and make them your friends or at least build your credit (make them respect you)
When you need someone to help you to solve problem, don’t just ask for a piece of help. Describe the context (it have to be inspiring one or you have to make it such). Share problem solving joy with him and he will share enthusiasm
Read on whole story extended with some generalization about how people learn lessons
Doctor House (from TV Series) – exploratory tester
Let me tell you the story “backward”. Have you seen series about Doctor House? I seldom watch it as my wife likes it a lot and it is one of a few series I don’t hate, because House reminds me of exploratory testing and myself doing it. He is the most respected doctor in a clinic because of his ability to diagnose (not because his skills using scalpel). How he does it? He always keeps searching for clues, with or without the owner’s (patient’s) permission. And he does it in exploratory way.
So what I learned from this movie? There was one thing in the series I was always missing – despite being cynical House has perfect people skills. He is able to involve his team into the problem solving, intrigue them and let them do things for him. He is using respect to do things “without owner’s permission”, and much more.
My problem solving story
So there is a legacy application that certified by it’s vendor to work with MS SQL 2000, but not with MS SQL 2005, simply because at a time it was developed before year 2005. I was tasked to do light testing on MS SQL 2005, because there are no reasons it should not work on, but the customer strongly insist upgrading on MS SQL 2005 due to corporate reasons. So I start to test and the first component that creates tables in database does not work. I don’t give up and at MS that beginning in SQL Server 2005, each object belongs to a database schema (instead of a user). While installation instructions say that that is required to have a user named some_hardcoded_name, it become clear that we need to create a schema of the same name. Unfortunately I have no admin right for that database, but admin is on vacation. I’ve found another colleague (developer, who likes solve problems) who got the admin rights. I don’t just tell him that I need a schema, I tell him whole story and he feels involved into problem solving. Neither of us have ever created any schema in MS SQL 2005 so after the first few attempts the application is reporting another error and I want to give up (and wait for dba), but the colleague not takes initiative and solve the issue. We both feel good as we both contributed to solving the issue. And I know this colleague is going to help me next time if I don’t abuse his help…
But this is something I only realized while watching House. At work, when I completed light testing I spend last half hour working on my conference presentation. Only today I started this blog.
More on lesson learning
Well this is something I wanted to write about for quite some time already. Mostly because my next conference presentation titled begins with Lessons learned. I wonder what is the reason to share lessons I have learned. I remember I had the same resistance when first seen title of the book Lessons learned in software testing . I now refer to this book as the best book about testing. However, I still believe that people are only able to learn from their own experiences: from their own mistakes and their own achievements.
I have realized something however now as I watch my 2 years old son learning what’s good and what’s bad – yes we learn from our own experience but we need to recognize the mistakes and achievements. And it is not as simple as it may seem. Fairy tales are designed to help a child to recognize what’s good and what’s evil. Books, songs and movies may help adults to recognize achievement, underachievement and failures in their own practice. They can’t teach you to live but could help to you analyze how, what and why you did or didn’t.
Summary: the lessons I learned
I could and list the lessons I learned yesterday. However it was only possible to learn them thanks to weeks, days even years of experience that I bring with myself. Yesterday I simply realized few of my achievements. This realization will help me to promote them and in my further practice. I don’t believe you could learn anything yourself by simply reading the list. You have to look at your experience for similar achievements and if not – ask why? So the lessons:
Find colleagues with an influence and make them your friends or at least build your credit (make them respect you)
When you need someone to help you to solve problem, don’t just ask for a piece of help. Describe the context (it have to be inspiring one or you have to make it such). Share problem solving joy with him and he will share enthusiasm