[All Things Quality] My Tester's Bookshelf

Books!

While I've been reading a lot using my Kindle in the past year, most of my technical books are still of the paper variety.

Here are some of the books I currently have in my bookcase that are either directly related to Testing, QA, or Technical Management, or have influenced my life as a Software Professional:

[All Things Quality] How Do You Keep In Synch With Your Test Team?

How are things?

One of the challenges for a busy manager with a team of busy testers working on multiple projects is keeping in touch, knowing what's going on, where help is needed, how to unblock obstacles. It's difficult (for me at least), and takes some work, but it's well worth it.

Here are some of the things that I do:

  • Weekly Team Meetings - On Mondays, I have a meeting with the entire QA Team - associates and contractors alike.  I remind them of upcoming company events, make sure we all know if any of us is going to be out of the office during the week, celebrate last week's releases, give everyone a turn to talk about what they did last week and will be doing this week, and discuss any problems or issues which might be affecting the group. The primary goal here is to try and ensure that everyone hears a bit about what everyone else is doing and how it might affect them. copyrightjoestrazzere
  • Weekly One-on-One Meetings - Once each week, for at least 1/2 hour, I meet individually with each QA Team member. This is our scheduled chance to talk privately. We talk about current and upcoming projects, about any problems needing attention, and anything that might be getting in the way of success. I keep a Word document for each individual and add reminders to myself into it during the week. Then I use that document during our One-on-One so that I can remember to bring up the important topics.
  • Bi-Weekly Team Discussions - Every other week, we get together to talk about "QA stuff" for an hour. This meeting is led by one of the team members rather than me. Often we talk about testing tips, about how to do something more effectively, and anything else that might help us grow as QA Professionals. Recently, we've been discussing the book "Lessons Learned in Software Testing" - kind of a book club discussion. It's informal, and fun.
  • Status Reports - I try not to burden my team with a lot of formalities. I want them to test, not fill out forms. But one I do require is a brief weekly Status Report. I only ask for five things: What I worked on this week, What I plan to work on next week, Unplanned activities, Time away next week, and Issues and concerns.  Reading these helps me help them, and gives me a way to look back at a later date.
  • Project Meetings - At my company, for all major projects, the entire project team usually meets once per week. The appropriate member(s) of the QA Team attend those meetings, and I do too. This means that I attend a lot of project meetings, but for me it's generally time well spent. I get to hear what might be impacting my team in real time.
  • Read ALL of the Bug Reports - Our bug tracking system (currently Bugzilla) allows me to automatically receive bug reports via email when they are filed by someone I am "watching". I look at all of these bug reports at some point during the week. It gives me a lot of insight into the issues testers are finding, what patterns might be emerging, what they aren't finding, and what I might need to do in order to help them and the projects.
  • Read and write emails - Obviously, I get a lot of emails from my team.  I read them all, respond to some and file some away. If I read something that demonstrates particularly good work, I try to reply with a "Thank You". If I read something that needs correction, I may reply by email, but more often I'll put it on my list of things to be discussed in the next One-on-One weekly meeting.
  • Read all the test assets (plans, checklists, etc) - The written output my team produces is a valuable source of information for me. It helps me understand who might be struggling and needs help and who might need more of my attention. Particularly good output might also serve as w terrific model for others on the team.
  • Informal talks - Lots of discussion is informal: in the halls, between meetings, etc. There is often a lot of value in these discussions, too. Sometimes people will tell you more in an informal setting, than they would in your office. Plus, it's fun!
  • Work together on some projects - For some projects, I like to get personally involved. Sometimes I'll help test, sometimes I'll help plan. This is a good way for me to see how things are going, particularly on some of the bigger projects.
  • Formal reviews (quarterly, annual) - My company requires several formal reviews. I'm not a big fan of formal performance reviews, but if they have to be done anyway, I at least try to get something useful out of them. It's one more chance to talk, to reflect over the past time period, and to discuss the future.
  • Greetings in the morning - Since I tend to be the first one in the office each morning, I can't say hello as I walk in. But I do try to make a point of greeting everyone at some point in the morning - as I walk to get some coffee or on my way to a morning meeting.
  • Goodbyes in the evening - On my way home, I say goodnight to anyone who is still around.
These things all help me feel connected and hopefully provide some value to my team as well.

As a busy Test Manager, how do you keep up with all that is going on with your test team?
And if you are a busy Tester, how does your Manager keep up with you?


This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality
My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance.
I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing.
Find me at http://strazzere.blogspot.com/.

[All Things Quality] Different Views On (All Things) Quality

It's Dynamic!

Recently, Google introduced a new feature to their blogger platform - Dynamic Views.  As described in Blogger Buzz: copyrightjoestrazzere
Dynamic Views: seven new ways to share your blog with the world
  • Classic: A modern twist on a traditional template, with infinite scrolling and images that load as you go
  • Flipcard: Your photos are tiled across the page and flip to reveal the post title
  • Magazine: A clean, elegant editorial style layout 
  • Mosaic: A mosaic mix of different sized images and text
  • Sidebar: An email inbox-like view with a reading page for quick scrolling and browsing
  • Snapshot: An interactive pinboard of your posts 
  • Timeslide: A horizontal view of your posts by time period

I've chosen to leave the lovingly hand crafted, tastefully styled and obviously elegant user interface for All Things Quality as it is for now.

But, if you want to explore or bookmark other views, try these:


And if you particularly like one of these new views, please let me know!


This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality
My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance.
I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing.
Find me at http://strazzere.blogspot.com/.

[All Things Quality] All Things Quality in Hebrew!

An article about All Things Quality - in Hebrew!

In August of 2010, I was asked by Joel Montvelisky of PractiTest, if he could write about All Things Quality in a new magazine - ThinkTesting.

He explained that ThinkTesting was going to be published in Israel, would be in Hebrew, and was intended for local testers.  In each edition, Joel wanted to write a column recommending a blog, and he wanted my blog to be the first.  Of course I was honored, and quickly agreed.

I hadn't heard back from Joel since then, so I figured it was just one of those many plans that seem like a good idea, but never get off the ground.

Recently, I was reviewing the analytics from my blog (something I do periodically) and saw a few visits from a referring site I hadn't seen before. It was from thinktesting.co.il, and when I followed the referral, I saw All Things Quality mentioned.  It took me a while to realize that this was the magazine that Joel had mentioned.

When I contacted Joel by email, he told me that the initial edition of the magazine had indeed been published in October 2010, had included this article, and that they were working on the 5th edition now.

Joel translated the relevant portion for me:   

The World is full of blogs, each of them with its own type of content and interest.  Today we want to start by pointing to a blog I've been following for a number of years, Joe Strazzere's blog (written ג’ו סטרזרה ), All Things Quality, located on http://strazzere.blogspot.com 
I got to learn about Joe's teaching from QAForums, where he is one of the forum's moderators, and also one of the people answering the largest number of questions.  One of his main traits is his ability to take complex questions and answer them in simple and very specific answers, providing some refreshing insights and solutions even to complex issues. 
In his blog, Joe provides some professional answers and examples for issues around the world of testing. 
I choose 3 examples out of his blog that show the simple way with which he can review complex professional topics...

Nice!  I can't wait to see the print version that Joel is sending me, so that I can show it off to my Jewish friends.

You can see the magazine issue yourself at: http://thinktesting.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cover1.pdf


And you can visit the web site at: http://www.thinktesting.co.il/



This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality
My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance.
I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing.
Find me at http://strazzere.blogspot.com/.

[All Things Quality] Perhaps They Should Have Tested More - Jaguar

Meow?

Jaguar is recalling certain X-Type cars, due to a software glitch affecting the cruise control system.
  • 17,678 cars recalled due to a software glitch
  • affects cars made between 2006 and 2010
  • error with certain interfacing systems copyrightjoestrazzere
  • cruise control cannot be disengaged in a normal manner
  • must turn off the ignition to disengage the cruise control function

What's that up there?  Is that a police car?  Yup, better disengage the cruise control and slow down a bit. Doesn't seem to be working!  Hmm...

Perhaps they should have tested more.

See also:


This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality
My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance.
I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing.
Find me at http://strazzere.blogspot.com/.

[All Things Quality] Newest People In Testing - Jeff Nyman

Jeff Nyman is a People in Testing

I'm happy to include Jeff Nyman on my People in Testing page, and to include his "Stories from a Software Tester" blog as part of my What People Are Writing aggregation.

I recently re-discovered Jeff's new site.  Jeff was a terrific contributor over at SQAForums.com a long time ago, and seeing his site made me remember how much I enjoyed his writing. He's clearly a smart guy, knows testing really well, and seems to have a lot of teacher/mentor in him.

Reading "Stories from a Software Tester" is like reading pages from a well-written book on testing.  Perhaps that's what he has in mind?

Check it out for yourself and let me know if you agree.

And if you know any other people who have a blog and should be included here, send me a note!


This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality
My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance.
I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing.
Find me at http://strazzere.blogspot.com/.

[All Things Quality] I'm Bill Belichick?

I prioritize substance and preparation over style and glibness.  Plus, I like wearing hoodies.


Since it's the bye week for the New England Patriots, local writers are scrambling for material to fill the sports pages. The Boston Globe's Boston.com website posted a little quiz today (http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/extras/which_patriot_are_you/).

You answer 10 multiple-choice questions like "What's your favorite way to express yourself? a. Facebook b. Twitter c. Dress/Physical appearance d. I let my actions speak for themselves". copyrightjoestrazzere

Then the answers are tallied, and the "member of the New England Patriots you are on the same wavelength with" is revealed.

Apparently, I'm most similar to Bill Belichick. Go figure! Now, where is my whistle, anyway?


This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality
My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance.
I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing.
Find me at http://strazzere.blogspot.com/.

[All Things Quality] Are You A Lark?



A lark. (Not actually me)


I am a morning person. I like getting up reasonably early, and find that I am most productive before noon. According to "Brain Rules" by John Medina, this apparently makes me a "lark".
In general larks report being most alert around noon and feel most productive at work a few hours before they eat lunch.  They don't need an alarm clock, because they invariably get up before the alarm rings - often before 6 a.m. Larks cheerfully report their favorite mealtime as breakfast and generally consume less coffee than non-larks. Getting increasingly drowsy in the early evening, most larks go to bed (or want to go to bed) around 9 p.m.
In recent years, my morning tasks look pretty much the same during the work week. I find that I can get a lot done before the flood of meetings and other tasks begin each day.

My morning workday routine looks like this:

  • Wake by about 5 a.m. without the benefit of an alarm clock
  • Shower, shave, and get dressed
  • Make coffee for myself and my wife
  • Make my lunch
  • Have breakfast (sometimes) and drink coffee while watching the local television news
  • Leave for work around 6 a.m.
  • Drive to work copyrightjoestrazzere
  • Turn on the lights, since I'm usually the first one in
  • Arrive at my desk about 6:30 a.m.
  • Read and respond to overnight emails, cleaning out my inbox
  • Read bug reports that have been filed or updated since the previous day
  • Check on the status of monitors and logs for some key Production and QA systems
  • Check the results of any overnight test automation
  • A quick chat with the India QA team as needed
  • Review the schedule of meetings planned for the remainder of the day
  • Plan the day and reserve blocks of time in my Outlook calendar as needed
  • Address anything that needs my immediate attention
  • Have another cup of coffee around 9 a.m.
  • Deal with any corporate administrivia needing my attention
  • Get on with the rest of the day

This works out really well for me. It makes me feel good to get these things out of the way early, and have a good, quick start to my lark day.

How about you - are you a lark, too? What does your morning routine look like?


This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality
My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance.
I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing.
Find me at http://strazzere.blogspot.com/.

[All Things Quality] Vegetable Garden Results 2011

Cucumbers - yum!

Over the (unseasonably warm) weekend, I harvested the last of my cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and herbs from my vegetable garden, and cleaned up the beds.

This year I had narrowed down the varieties of plantings, and was a bit more careful with their location. I was striving to produce veggies that really made a big difference when grow fresh, rather than those that were almost as good when purchased in a supermarket.

Just like last year, some of the plantings worked out really well - others, not so well. But the specifics were almost completely different from last year. Once again, all of the herbs flourished. But this year, the cucumbers were the big winner - both regular and pickling varieties were bountiful and delicious. And this year, in spite of my high hopes, the peppers yielded almost exactly nothing. A huge disappointment - I was really looking forward to a nice selection of hot peppers. copyrightjoestrazzere

Still, the garden was fun again and looked nice in the back yard.

That's it for this fall - we'll try again next Spring!

Successes
  • Cucumbers
  • Pickling Cucumbers
  • Curled Parsley
  • Basil
  • Rosemary
  • Lavender
  • Cherry Tomatoes
Mixed Results
  • Zucchini
  • Big Boy Tomatoes
Utter, Pathetic, Dismal Failures
  • Several varieties of hot peppers


This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality

My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance.
I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing.
Find me at http://strazzere.blogspot.com/.

[All Things Quality] Business Casual Confusion


That's me on the bottom-left, but not on Fridays.

Ok, I get that companies like to have dress codes. My company has a "business casual" dress code. Except...

  • We have "Casual Fridays" where folks can wear sneakers and jeans. copyrightjoestrazzere
  • For one week per year we have "Dress Down for Charity" where you can buy the privilege of wearing sneakers and jeans in return for a donation to charity.

So it's important to have this dress code, but it's not important on Friday, nor when you cough up a few bucks?

Sometimes I just don't understand the thinking behind these things.



This article originally appeared in my blog: All Things Quality
My name is Joe Strazzere and I'm currently a Director of Quality Assurance.
I like to lead, to test, and occasionally to write about leading and testing.
Find me at http://strazzere.blogspot.com/.