Synchronicity, Serendipity and the Pursuit of Excellence in Testing

By Cindy Carless14 Nov 14

What a mouthful…• So much in fact that I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew…• Yet for “Tasting” LetsTest it seems very appropriate• Some appetisers to focus on:

– Opening– Coping– Strategies– Nuance– Journeys– Curiosity– Value– Courage– Gratitude– Joy

Starter - Synchronicity and Serendipity

• Moments of meaningful coincidence when the boundary dissolves between the inner and the outer. Touching the heart of our being.

• Finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for• Personal experiences to share– My entry into testing, NLP and coaching– My journey into CDT and Agile– My daily experiences – GetAbstract, Twitter, Blogs,

debrief/journal/reflection

Connection

Palette cleanser

• Take a few moments to connect with yourself• Write down what you see, hear, feel and are saying to

yourself• Take a few deep breaths• Clear your senses

– Close your eyes, focus only on your breath• Now focus selectively

– Notice everything blue, square any theme that comes to you• Is there a difference from when you first connected to

yourself??

Mains – NLP

• A definition by Richard Bandler– “An attitude and methodology that leaves behind a

trail of techniques”– Attitude – curiosity and wanton experimentation,

childlike fascination and courage• Another definition: The pursuit of excellence– Excellence – best you can be in relation to your

environment• John Grinder – The art of living with grace is the

heart of NLP

NLP – the ingredients

• Neuro – brain, Linguistic – verbal & non verbal sensory based, Programming – structure, patterns & “recipes”

• Rapport – connection, finding a shared map of the world• Well formed outcome – what are you trying to achieve in

context and with evidence• Modelling – identifying strategies and how they help us learn

more quickly• Techniques for state management – context and desired state

determines the technique for change• Pragmatism – can even use envy as a resource• Synthesis – combining different fields of study

Mains - CDT

• A definition from http://www.softwaretestingtricks.com testing driven by an understanding of the environment, culture, and intended use of software. For example, the testing approach for space probe versus an editing tool will be very different

• Same source quotes James Bach - “Context-driven” means to match your solutions to your problems as your problems change. Good practice is not a matter of popularity. It’s a matter of skill and context.

CDT – the ingredients

• Context Driven Testing – some principles from James Bach at LetsTest Oz– Context is NOT just the scenery, but vital information that informs

the work– A craft that is supported by evidence and debate and continuous

openness and learning– Learning to live with uncertainty– Testing is... Not just fact checking– Tester autonomy and responsibility, thought work and how that

adds value– Shared and social/community network– Competence is designing and developing relevant practices and

heuristics

Mains – Combo NLP & CDT

NLP• Attitude – curiosity, wanton

experimentation, courage• Trail of techniques• Pursuit of excellence in

context• Living with grace• Neuro• Linguistic• Programming

CDT• Attitude – autonomy and

responsibility• Not just fact checking• A craft supported by

evidence and debate• Competence and flow• Brain engaged• Catalyst for communication• Patterns and systems

Mains – Combo NLP & CDT contd

NLP• Rapport – finding a shared

map of the world• Well formed outcome – a

goal to work towards• Modelling based on

observation• Techniques• Ecology check• Reflection and growth

CDT• Environment and project

synthesis• What is the problem being

solved• What else did you find or

learn• Heuristics, patterns• Adding value• Debrief journal/PROOF

Mains – Combo NLP & CDT final

NLP• Pragmatism

• Synthesis

CDT• Not a quest for zero defect

• Blending hard and soft skills

Dessert - Coaching

• Taking that combo of NLP and CDT on a journey

• Opportunity to:– Improve my observation skills– Share and develop my knowledge– Encourage and empower others to find their

sweet flow

Sharing the sweetness and....

My journey

TLT menu review

• I wanted to bring 3 things together – how I got in to testing, the impact of my NLP learning on my testing and career and my people focus through coaching

• My aim was to share my story• My challenge was to structure the story in a

way that allows others to gain some insight and food for thought from it

Curiosity, self reflection