Emotional Intelligence in Software Testing

W1 Test Management

5/1/2013 11:30:00 AM

Emotional Intelligence in Software

Testing

Presented by:

Thomas McCoy

Australian Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and

Indigenous Affairs

Brought to you by:

340 Corporate Way, Suite 300, Orange Park, FL 32073

888-268-8770 ∙ 904-278-0524 ∙ [email protected] ∙ www.sqe.com

Thomas McCoy

Australian software testing professional, teacher, and journalist Thomas McCoy has worked in the IT industry for more than two decades. Much of this time was spent as a software developer and IT manager with Australian government agencies. Wanting to make a greater contribution to software quality, Thomas re-oriented his career into the emerging discipline of software testing and has been an enthusiastic promoter of the profession ever since. At conferences in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the US, Thomas is a popular keynote speaker, who has received several best presentation awards. You can reach Thomas at [email protected].

Thomas McCoy 1 May 2013

Testing with Emotional Intelligence 1

STAR East 2013 1Testing with Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Testing withEmotional Intelligence (EI)

Thomas McCoyBSc (ANU), BJourn, DipEd, MInfTech

Australian Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

STAR East 2013 Testing with Emotional Intelligence (EI) 2

DisclaimerThe views expressed in this presentation are not necessarily those of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Australian Government, or even the presenter. ☺


Australia


Canberra




Notes• Am from Australia, around 9,500 miles from Orlando,

which has a population of 23 million (just a few million more than Florida).

• Live in Australia’s capital city of Canberra, which has about 350,000 people (100,000 more than Orlando).

• Our government department is responsible for social security in Australia, with payments and support for groups including pensioners, the unemployed, people with disabilities, and our Indigenous Australians.

• The Department manages about one fifth of the federal budget (so errors can be costly).

• We have an independent test team for our major legacy application and testers embedded in Agile teams for our smaller systems.


We watched 3 minutes of the Sylvester Stallone movie “Cliffhanger”. It was the part where Sarah made an unsuccessful attempt to get from one peak to the other.


How do you feel right now?

• Sad• Happy• Angry• Excited• Confused• Frightened

• Sweaty• Shaking• Short of breath• Heart palpitating• Stomach churning• High blood pressure

Psychological Physiological


What are emotions?

• Impulses to act• Root of word is

“motere” (Latin verb “to move”) plus prefix “e-” to connote “move away”




Emotional Intelligence

Popularised in 1995 by New York Times science journalist and Harvard University psychologist, Dr Dan Goleman through enormously successful book


What is EI?The ability to use our understanding of emotions, in ourselves and others, to deal effectively with people and problems in a way that reduces anger and hostility, develops collaborative effort, enhances life-balance and produces creative energy.

Tester Developer


Four key EI skills

• Self Awareness• Self-Management• Social Awareness• Relationship

Management


Self-awareness

• Emotional self-awareness• Accurate self-assessment• Self confidence

Being aware of your own emotions and recognising their impact




Self-management

• Emotional self-control• Achievement orientation• Transparency• Optimism• Adaptability• Initiative

Keeping disruptive emotions and impulses under control

Is that a bug?


Social awareness

• Empathy• Organisational

awareness• Service

orientation

Being able to tune into how others feel and to read situations


Post Implementation Review

Relationship management

• Developing others• Inspirational leadership• Influence• Change catalyst• Conflict management• Teamwork and collaboration

Being able to guide the emotional tone of the group


EI: What it is and isn’t• It’s self awareness, not self obsession• It’s managing feelings so they’re expressed

appropriately; it’s not suppressing emotions or giving in to them

• It’s being aware of others’ feelings and demonstrating empathy

• It’s handling relationships and this doesn’t necessarily mean “being nice”. (For example, EI can mean confronting someone with an uncomfortable truth like “your program needs to be rewritten”)



Amygdala

“Amygdala Hijack”

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Notes

• The amygdala (from the Greek word for almond) is a primitive, almond-shaped cluster perched above brainstem and is part of the limbic system.

• It can trigger an emotional response before the higher cortical centres have even fully understood what is happening.

• In times of great stress or crisis, our limbic brains literally take over the rest of the brain. This is known as an “amygdala hijack”, meaning the amygdala has taken over for the more advanced, cognitive part of the brain.

• It could occur, for example, when you’re told your testing time has just been halved.


How high is your EI?

Z) I feel our business analysts add enormous value to our projects.

4 3 2 1 0Often Usually Sometimes Occasionally Rarely

This is a sample question. If your answer is “usually”, you would write:Z) 3



Responses Running TotalA) 3 3B) 1 4C) 2 6etc. etc.

Try to keep a running total as we go through the 15 questions, for example …





A) When we’re working to an ambitious testing deadline, I can feel relaxed and participate in making the work enjoyable and productive for everyone.




B) If I feel a member of the testing or project team is behaving in an unhelpful way, I give honest, direct and respectful feedback.




C) I make sure I find the time to praise project team members when they’ve made a good contribution.




D) In discussions with colleagues or clients, I listen carefully to understand the other person’s point of view and how they’re feeling.






E) I can hold back hostile thoughts in workplace disagreements even though I’d sometimes like to give them a “piece of my mind”.




F) I manage conflict by seeking common ground and don’t allow bad feelings to fester.




G) I lead a balanced lifestyle.




H) I notice when my body is telling me I need to relax or to energise myself and I do it.






I) When I start to have negative or defeatist thoughts during a project, I can replace them with positive thoughts that motivate me.




J) I can remain optimistic in face of repeated disappointments.




K) I manage anger by putting things in perspective and keeping calm.




L) I avoid feeling helpless in frustrating circumstances by focusing on what I have control over.






M) I pick up subtle verbal and non-verbal signals that show how people are feeling underneath the surface.




N) I can reframe, or find alternative ways of viewing a bad experience.




O) I state my concerns without anger or passivity when I am being excluded.



How did you go?Score Meaning

Above 38 Excellent

25 - 37 Good, but room for improvement

0 - 24 Needs some work

Please note that this test is just supposed to give you a rough indication, and a “flavour” for EI; it is not a serious psychological instrument.



Why are you in testing?

Did you choose testing …

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… or did testing choose you?

STAR East 2013 Testing with Emotional Intelligence (EI)

This may have a significant

impact on how you perceive

your role.

The Testing Mindset

• Like to break things

• Like to criticise• Cynical• Inquisitive• Pedantic

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• Attention to detail

• Meticulous• Persistent• Pessimistic• Sceptical



Notes

• Revisiting the film, the whole thing is about the migration of a project from development across the great divide to implementation.

• Similar to a project, we’ve got a situation that’s highly charged emotionally, where there are enormous time pressures, where there’s a lot to lose, where there are different opinions and different roles.

• We will now identify the roles.


Testing

Production

Promotional path




I’m slipping, I’m slipping!

The Project?

The giveaway that she’s the Project is the “I’m slipping”. How many projects have you worked

on that aren’t slipping?


The Project Manager?

He has the requisite worried and anxious look of the Project Manager.


No, it's not rigged for two people, I'll send out my harness.

The Tester?

As a Tester, he tried to warn them.


Hurry Gabe, hurry!

The Business Analyst?

Is she doing more than stating the obvious? Does that make her the Business Analyst?




The Senior Manager?

I might only be holding the rope but I’m in control here.

Has the illusion of control.


Hanging by a thread …

In summary: the project is hanging by a thread and is about to crash …


Saves the project?

… and the Project Manager makes a valiant attempt to save it …


Ha, ha, can’t wait to get this on their performance

review!

Tester vs. Senior Manager

… while the Senior Manager seems to take some perverse pleasure in seeing it on the brink of

failure …




Precursor Pooch

… and the first casualty is a sign of things to come …


Project crashes

… leading to the inevitable crash …


They should have listened to me …

Tester reflects

… and the tester laments that his advice was ignored (but perhaps, in this case, it wouldn’t

have helped).


THE PRODUCERS GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE:

BLACK DIAMOND EQUIPMENT LTD.

THE BLACK DIAMOND HARNESS USED IN THIS MOTION PICTUREWAS ALTERED IN ORDER TO CREATE THE ACCIDENT DEPICTED.

As an aside, in the credits the folk at Black Diamond Equipment wanted to make sure people

knew it wasn’t a quality issue with their equipment that caused the disaster:




Movie vs. IT ProjectMovie IT Project

Optimism at outset ?Enormous riskHigh stakesTime pressureEmotionally charged ?Conflict ?Different opinionsPromises not met ?Failure unexpected ?

Is every IT project a disaster movie?

• Not necessarily, but one bit of symbolism we sometimes use is the dropping of the stuffed toy

• After a particularly grim meeting, “dropping the wombat” signifies that the project may also crash soon



How can we use EI in testing?

1. In test execution, we can trust our intuition

2. In the broader testing context, EI applies to the many, complex interactions that happen in an IT project


Notes

• We should listen to our emotions as we test. If we are feeling confused, frustrated, impatient or angry it may tell us something about the system (e.g. poor user interface design, performance bottlenecks, etc.)

• People place little trust in intuition, but it has been described as a “subconscious logical analysis”.

• Listening to intuition can then prompt a search for the “hard evidence” (e.g. performance statistics).



Who are we?


• This role has been debated in recent times

• “Trusted advisor” is the more sanitisedversion

• But can we completely abdicate this role?

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The “Quality Cops?



The Critics


• All through life people have been criticised in a range of contexts

• The current economic situation makes them feel especially vulnerable

• But criticism is part of our job description

Being the critic



Testing Definition

“To tell somebody that he or she is wrong is called criticism. To do so officially is called testing.”

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Vehicles for public criticism

• Incident reports• Testing summary reports• E-Mails• Meetings• Public conversations• Metrics• Newsletter items



Of course, we are also at the receiving end

How do we feel when:• Our incidents are

rejected?• Our expertise is

questioned?• We are blamed for faults

appearing in Production?


In my young and idealistic days I put a sign on my office door …




… then one day a major bug slipped through …


* Aspirational statement only.

(This should not be interpreted to mean

that bugs would necessarily stop

here).

… and meant some small print had to be added:

Test Report Disclaimer“Within the time and resources available for testing, we believe the system is ready for Production deployment. However, it should be noted that since exhaustive testing is impossible, and since testing can only demonstrate the presence of defects (not their absence), the system cannot be considered to be defect free.”


A disclaimer was also created for test reports:


It’s a tough gig• Critics aren’t well liked • Critics are held to higher

standards• People have a strong

emotional connection to their work

• There is a negative perception of “dobbing” (or being a tattletale) that dates back to the schoolyard

TestReport




Giving emotionally intelligent criticism

1. Not in public (if possible)2. Use the kiss-kick-kiss sandwich3. Don’t personalise (talk in the abstract)4. Never, ever, say “don’t be defensive”5. Praise good things at all times6. Ensure they’re OK7. Admitting our own mistakes


Notes

• In the kiss-kick-kiss sandwich, we say something positive, then something negative, and then something positive. For example, “your code runs really fast, pity the error messages don’t make sense, but the screen colours are wicked”.

• Bureaucratic language and use of the passive voice can be helpful. Not “you broke the build mate” but “it would appear the build is broken”.

• Saying “don’t be defensive” is an insult to the person and says “I don’t give a stuff about your opinion”. Always give them the chance to explain and listen empathically. It allows them to save face and you might even learn something.


Emotionally ladencritical terms

• Bug• Defect• Deviation• Error• Fail• Fault• Problem

1. These words are from the ISTQB Glossary and carry emotional baggage. “Incident” is a more neutral term, as is “test query”.


The internal critic• Aspiring to high

standards can make us critical of ourselves

• “Professional pessimism” can spill from the workplace into our lives

• Can lead to negative self talk

Crikey, how could you

have missed that?

Even Wally would have

found it!You’ve really messed up big time!




Stopping the internal critic1. Stop the thoughts by yelling “stop” (to

yourself)2. Take some deep breaths3. Replace the negative self talk

– “Everybody sometimes misses a bug; I’ll review my methods to see why”

– “There’s no telling what Wally would have done and it’s not relevant”

– “I’ve proven my value to the project in the past, I’ll keep doing that in the future, and can learn from this experience”


Learned optimism

Optimist PessimistPermanence Just a

temporary setback

Will go on forever

Pervasiveness Specific to this situation

Will affect my whole life

Personalisation Was caused by many factors

It’s all my fault

Differences in thinking about “bad events”


Empathy• Sits between Apathy and

Sympathy• Means understanding

somebody from theirpoint of view by sensingand experiencing theirfeelings and perspective

• We should seek tounderstand before being understood

• A key skill for testing professionals


Empathic questions• Short general open questions

– Who, what, where, when, how• Encouragement

– Tell me more, go on• Seek clarification

– In what way did you resolve the issue?• Focus on what matters to the person

– How is that important to you?




Why do we need empathy?• Negotiation

– Means we better understand other person which leads to appreciation of their position

• Conflict management– Conflict is often based on misunderstanding

• Networking– Empathy helps us develop influence

• Customer needs– If we don’t empathise we can’t serve them


Effective listening• Clear your head• Listen (don’t be thinking

of the next question)• Allow silence (don’t

interrupt)• Don’t daydream• Use acknowledging

responses but don’t just parrot (people are wise to this)


Influence

• In our role, we often need to influence people without necessarily being in a position of authority over them

• This can only be done by listening and genuinely supporting, acknowledging and recognising others


Negotiations

• We need to know what drives people:– what do they stand to

gain?– what do they stand to

lose?




What drives people?• Project Manager

– Time, budget and features• Tester

– Quality• Business Owner

– Successful implementation– They often have the most to lose from

quality issues because they, and their users, will struggle with the system long after the project team has been disbanded


Anger• Anger is part of a

defence system to deal with threat and usually results from frustration. People often either:– Keep a lid on it– Let it all out

Have you ever been in a meeting that’s made you so angry that you’ve had physical symptoms?


Dealing with anger

Emotionally Intelligent

Emotionally Unintelligent

Active Assert Yourself Let Loose

Passive Calm Yourself Give In


Self-talk while you’re angry• I can find a way of saying what I want without

being angry• My anger will upset me, and everyone else• It’s not about right and wrong, it’s about

different needs• I can keep calm and relax• It doesn’t help to get upset• If I lose control, I could lose out• I won’t become abusive or insult anyone

(much as they may deserve it)




Stopping the amygdala hijack1. Say “STOP” in your head2. Take a deep breath3. Breathe out slowly. Relax the muscles in

your face, mouth and jaws4. Take another deep breath5. Breathe out slowly. Relax the muscles of

your shoulders, arms and hands6. Face the other person. Start again in a

calmer state of mind7. Breathe slowly


Conflict• Our profession,

with its high risks, is a breeding ground for conflict

• We constantly face unrealistic deadlines, stress, anger and frustration


Conflict resolution1. View person as a potential ally2. Clarify perceptions: yours and theirs3. Focus on shared goals4. If past issues are stopping you from

moving forward they may need to be discussed

5. Try to be empathic and good humoured

6. Follow up on any agreements in writing to avoid disagreements later


If all that fails …• Maybe you’re dealing with an office

psychopath• Sometimes it’s not you, it’s them

Book was written by a Sydney forensic psychologist, who gave a lecture on criminal psychopaths, and afterwards an audience member came up and said “that’s just like someone I work with”. This inspired him to write the book.




Stress

The experience of a threat to our well-being which gives rise to a physiological reaction to prepare us for fight or flight.


Stress prevention• Exercise and nutrition• Clarity of purpose

– clear vision and values so you can focus your energies e.g. we exist to help the end user

• Support network• Life balance• Self esteem• Challenge self defeating beliefs

– e.g. can overwork if you believe you must be perfect and never let a bug get past you


Stress management• Be assertive (sometimes

we need to say “no”)• Relaxation• Letting go

– Of things that aren’t worthfighting for

• Appreciation– Of what’s going well in life

• Calming self talk

One thing we’ve done to reduce our stress levels is to put up the ISTQB Principles of Testing in our area.Now we just call out a number.




Independent Testing Team• We’ve also found that our

independent testing team, sitting together in close proximity to the developers reduces stress by:– Building a collegiate

atmosphere– Providing strength in

numbers– Allowing them to

unashamedly celebrate successes (which may be development failures)


Give me a hug,I found a bug!


Independent Testing Team• Activities and

celebrations encourage emotional bonding, create energy and facilitate socialisation:– Birthdays– Christmas– Karaoke– Competitions– Performances


Key Points• Pay attention to the emotional issues• Beware the “amygdala hijack”• Remember the four aspects of EI:

– Self Awareness– Self-Management– Social Awareness– Relationship Management

• If your informal EI score could be higher, think about reading up on it


Key Points• Be aware of your feelings, but always

challenge them• Be ultra cautious with criticism in these

uncertain times• Nurture your business area• Unleash your creativity• Promote the team• Keep your sense of humour




Further ReadingClarke, J. (2007) The Pocket Psycho. Sydney: Random House Australia.Ellis, A. (2002) Anger: How to Live With and Without It.USA: Citadel Press Inc.Goleman, D. (2006) Social Intelligence. Hutchinson: London.Goleman, D. (1996) Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.Jeffers, S. (2006) Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. London: Rider & Co.Seligman, E. P. (2006) Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life. New York: Pocket Books.Smith, M. J. (1985) When I Say No, I Feel Guilty. New York: Bantam Books.

Thank you!


For further information, questions, or comments, feel free to contact me at:

[email protected]

Emotional Intelligence in Software Testing

Technology

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