Blogathon2021
How important communication is in testing!
By Anindita Rath
We all know how important communication is in understanding the point of view of the other person and reciprocating to the same .It’s possible that a person is having excellent analytical skills is unable to communicate or present the analysis to the people.
We as humans tend to feel the pressure of being judged or misunderstood or being criticized by others ,which becomes the reason of not communicating or expressing ourselves ,in a correct way .It’s quite possible to loose confidence when the first person that we talk to in a new place ,isn’t able to understand what we are trying to say . It does not only happen when you have different accents of languages , but it happens with anyone who is in worry of expressing himself.
A person having good communication or interpersonal skill, might not be the intelligent one among the lot, but they definitely have more opportunities for learning and growing with the experiences acquired from all of those people they have come across.
Why good communication skills are Necessary!
Having a good communication skill is an add-on in both personal and professional life. As we deal with the living human beings day in and day out, having different mid sets and feelings. We need to have a way to deal with each of them differently.
We can’t expect someone to understand us if we don’t express it in the right way. As human beings we are continuously evolving, changing our perspectives, and growing in our own way. So, Why not to keep an open mind and try to understand people and have them understand you?
Giving a warm smile to someone at your workplace, can also be a form of non-verbal communication. Its your body language which makes the other person feel at ease ,which ultimately helps him expressing himself comfortably.
Why effective communication is necessary in testing!
First of all a big salute to all the testers who are reading this!
Being the villain among all ,is not that easy! isn’t that correct!
Who likes a person who only points out the flaws you have! No one Right! A tester can easily be the person disliked by everyone. People already have an assumption before talking to you that you are going to bring them down for each one silly mistake they have done .They would not listen to the testers with an open mind to understand ,rather to defend for what they have done.
That’s where a good communication and inter-personal skills can help you out .
All of us (developers, testers and management)can be on the same page if we discuss and understand the problem clearly .rather than finding out each other’s fault .
These should be the habits that we may follow for an effective communication:
- Talking / expressing ourselves, in a humble manner rather than accusing someone.
- Giving the other person time to express the concerns before we start giving our opinions.
- Being diplomatic can be the best thing if it saves you from a useless fight.
- Respecting the other person’s point of view and giving it a thought before denying or opposing it.
- Helping the other person to express his point of view in the best way possible.
- Realizing that you can be wrong at times and accepting the same with dignity.
- Putting your point of view firmly yet having an open mind to listen the exact opposite point of view from the other person.
- Doing your research and having the facts at hand, helps people with more understanding rather than just talking.
- Give your opinion about someone publicly, only if it’s necessary.
- Repeating the same statements can be taken as nagging unless it’s necessary in some situations.
- Showing a warm gesture to your colleague can be beneficial when you discuss processes, ideas and thoughts and on a daily basis, with that person.
- Having a smooth relationship with the team members ,helps easing up the work and saves you from unnecessary stress.
I am sure the dilemma that all testers must be having once a time is how to tell the other person(developer) about the mistake committed, without making him feel bad in front of all these people (The management). Sometimes, the tension between these two pillars of a project (developers and testers) are so much that management is accused of being biased for developers .
Often testers are having thoughts like!
Why is that, the management asking me for the reason, when developer is the one who did the mistake in the first place!
Why is it that even after telling multiple times the developer is not able to understand the issue!
Why, always I am responsible for all the mistakes that committed by someone else?
Why should I bear pressure, when someone else did not fix thecode at the right time!
Etc…
The Tug-of-war between testers and developers can be resolved if we communicate and reciprocate each other’s actions respectfully. Understand and be reasonable to the other person’s hard work that they have put into the project.
Owing to the above, an effective communication can help you evolve in life and also helps you be at peace.
We may put it like:
Be passionate yet humble
Be kind don’t grumble
For acceptance, understanding
and empathy be a model.
References:
https://skillsology.com/wc/top-10-essential-skills-for-effective-communication/
https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/9-effective-communication-skills/https://www.thebalancecareers.com/communication-skills-list-2063779
About Author:
Hello Readers!
I Anindita is currently working as a Sr QA engineer with CRISIL . My Curiosity to learn and know more about a software led me to be a tester by profession. Am always Excited and happy to learn new things.