10 Skills of Elite Testers: Day #7

To be viewed as a true Quality Assurance Professional, you must be someone that others can count on. This is a perception of you, by others, that takes time to develop. To do this you must consistently do what you say you will within the timeframe you set forth.

Skill #9:
Deliver On Your Word

People forget how fast you did a job - but they remember how well you did it.
~Howard Newton

• They want to be liked, thus they make a promise on which they cannot deliver
• They want to please, to be seen as someone who can do whatever is asked, so they agree to anything without regard as to whether or not they can meet the request
• They want to be thought of as smart, so they agree to whatever is asked
• They don’t understand the request and so cannot deliver what has been asked of them
• They think that the more they take on, the more valuable they are – regardless of whether they can do any of what has been asked of them in an effective manner

Self-assessment is beyond the scope of this course, but is a key factor in truly being your most effective self. Here is what I will offer in this area: As part of your commitment to yourself to continue to learn, get some books or take a course on self-assessment so that you can understand your real capabilities. Here is some of the material that I have found very useful in this arena:

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – by Stephen R. Covey
• Now, Discover your Strengths – by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton
• The Success Principles – by Jack Canfield and Janet Switzer

As for Managing Expectations I wrote earlier that you must:

• Understand the request
• Know when you must deliver your results
• Have clarity regarding the type and content of the results that are desired

With the three above pieces clearly defined, you should be able to deliver what you have agreed to without fail. Once you have those elements, the last piece is to ensure that you do, indeed, deliver.

One other action to take that will help in the perception people have of you is to “under-promise and over-deliver”. This is much more impressive than the reverse. If you over-promise and under-deliver, people will not have patience with you for very long, won’t trust you or your work, and you may be headed out the door sooner than later.

Simply agree that you think you can do the assigned task within the parameters set forth and then deliver your results sooner and more completely than expected.

For an example of this behavior, go look up some old Star Trek episodes (the original series) and watch Mr. Scott (Scotty) the engineer. He always under-promised and usually over-delivered – the true key to that character’s success.

Skill #10:
Never Stop Learning

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for.
~Socrates

Learn something new every single day. Read, explore, pick a skill to master, do something! In the world today, if you don’t continue learning, the world will pass you by.

As I have written over and over on this site, there are boundless opportunities to be had in the world of Quality Assurance. For every piece of technology that becomes "obsolete", three more seem to takes its place. The only way you can keep up with the pace of technology is to always be learning something. Continually add to your knowledgebase.

Most, if not all, of the information you acquire will be applicable in a number of different ways – if you learn the principles. If you understand how one database works, it’s simply a matter of modifying your terminology or learning the newest wrinkles to master a second one. Technology is ever-changing, but the human mind isn’t evolving as quickly.

The technology you will be asked to test, and guide the testing of, will be conceived of and implemented by humans. If you therefore learn the principles, you will be able to adapt in today’s global economy. So start somewhere…anywhere.

Pick something and start learning. Learn about web marketing. Learn about your company’s target market (something you should always do anyway so that your testing is focused most effectively).

Learn about the newest ways to secure a network. Learn about email usage trends. Learn about audio mixers. Learn about process improvement. Learn about Project Management so that you can relate to the Project Managers on your team more effectively. Learn something!!

It really doesn’t matter what you choose to focus on first, just pick something and start. By doing this, you will be WAY ahead of most people.

Learning takes effort. It’s work. It can be fun work, but you will have to make the time and spend the effort…you will have to THINK! This is something that the majority of people avoid if at all possible – sad, but true.

Henry Ford is credited with saying two things that I find appropriate for this skill. They are:

• Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.

• Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.

Often, unfortunately, in a QA environment there are many people who see their QA job as a burden and not as an opportunity. They miss the opportunity to learn new things that could open doors for them so that they could find an area where they would truly excel.

If you decide to take on the challenge of continual learning, you will be rewarded many times over! You will find avenues open to you that never would have been otherwise.

You will have the ability to assess a situation or a job opportunity with greater perspective and make a more informed decision about what you choose. So just pick something, start somewhere, anywhere and start learning.

If you don’t like the first subject you choose, then move on. You probably learned something from the experience as well as the beginnings of some expertise, so you haven’t wasted your time. Now you are simply closer to finding what really does interest you – these are the things that are fun to learn.

If you choose something that you find you can’t stand, you have eliminated one thing. By process of elimination, you have increased your odds of finding something you really do enjoy.

People I have worked with over the years know that I always have a book with me that I am reading. It might be Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, or Marketing that Matters a book in the Social Ventures Network series, or Top 10 Challenges of Software Testing.

It doesn’t matter where you start, just start! This will enhance your life, open more doors for you, and help you understand the world at large with greater depth and clarity. The greatest Quality Assurance Professionals I have worked with all do this and they never stop. Invest your time and money in yourself – you will make the world a better place.

If you want to give yourself the chance to be the best you that you can be – discover your true self and learn to use all that you possess to excel…check out one of my favorite writers. He offers the ultimate way for you to invest in yourself.

The more self-aware you are, the better you can harness your strengths. If you give yourself the chance, you can improve every day.

One of the things I most appreciate and respect about Dr. Wayne Dyer is that he gets better year after year. I don’t love everything he has written – but he has improved with every work.

That’s the goal isn’t it? To be better than you were. I believe he has done (and continues to do) that. He practices what he preaches.

I find no greater goal: Be better than you were yesterday – each day. If you can do that, then your professional life can remain in synch with your personal life.

Don’t worry about the next “guy” – focus on you. If you can become just a little better every day – better than you were yesterday – you will set your own standard of quality and become one of the truly Elite.

Give yourself the opportunity to achieve greatness. Open your life to the wonders that the world has to offer. Prepare yourself to see the opportunities and seize the moment. Start now and join the coming Innovation Economy!

Seize the moment of excited curiosity on any subject to solve your doubts; for if you let it pass, the desire may never return, and you may remain in ignorance.
~William Wirt

Congratulations!

Return at any time for a refresher! As you practice each of the skills, you will find that coming back and reviewing the course material will lead to deeper and greater understanding of each.

As you progress, you should remember that I would love to hear about your successes and triumphs. I want to know how you have applied these lessons and succeeded in the high tech industry!

Learn, Apply, Practice, and Succeed!
Phillip Bailey