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Developing Testers:What We Can Learn From

Athletes

Paul Gerrard, Systeme Evolutif Ltd.,

UK K6

Developing TestersWhat Can We Learn from Athletes?Paul GerrardGerrard Consulting1 Old Forge CloseMaidenheadBerkshireSL6 2RD UKe: paul@gerrardconsulting.comw: http://gerrardconsulting.comt: 01628 639173

AgendanWhy did I put this talk together?nAthlete Development

- 2 Minute Introduction to Rowing- A (Development) Squad Training Plan

nTester Development- A Tester Development Plan- Coaching/Mentoring

nClose

Why did I put this talk together?n Good question!n W ell… I coach and train testers and row ersn Similarities?

- Me, being a know-all, telling other people stuff so they can meet an objective (or two)

- Mainly about human interaction, trial and error, trial and success, behaviour changes driven by feedback

n Differences- O ne m ainly „physical‟, the other com pletely m ental.

Why did I put this talk together? 2n I believe that there enough similarities in

overall objective, that some of the methods used in one, could be used in the other

nBy looking at another discipline, we might obtain insights to how we might improve the way we develop as testers

n It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Slide 7

Introduction to Rowing

Rowing 101n Sculling

- Each sculler has two sculls (oars)- Single, double, quads (coxed/coxless), octuples

(coxed)n Rowing

- Each rower/oarsman/woman has one oar or blade- Pair, Four (coxed/coxless) or Eights (coxed)

n Cox – the little guy who steers and gives ordersn Basic movement in rowing and sculling is the

same.

F rom the pow er of eights…

… to the grace of a single sculler ;-)

Something more graceful than me

W om ens‟ H ead of the R iver 2006

Slide 12

A (Development) SquadTraining Plan

1 Year Goalsn Squad goals

- To represent MRC in three head races and three summer regattas at Novice level

- To improve crew endurance to achieve target time for 2000m on Dorney Lake in IV and/or VIII – March

- T o im prove crew technique to m atch W om en‟s squadn Personal goals

- To improve specific points of rowing technique for each individual- To achieve an agreed level of skill in a single sculling boat- To improve PBs on Ergometer for 500m, 2000m, 5000m by

agreed targets- To be capable of rowing in Womens squad next season.

AmbitionnAchieve one novice head event win in IV or

VIII for all squad membersnAchieve one novice summer regatta win in

any boat for all squad membersnWin a pot at Maidenhead Regatta?

Training Principlesn Overload - athletes subjected to progressively higher

stresses to develop strength and endurancen Recovery - adaptation takes place during recovery, not

the training session itselfn Specificity – training sessions will aim to develop a

specific area of technique or physiologyn Reversibility – the body can reverse any of the

adaptations (i.e. stop training – lose speed, strength etc.)n Evaluation – constant monitoring to plan training,

recovery and improve the plan itself.

Overall Training StrategynFive key areas

- Rowing technique- Flexibility/mobility- Strength- Power- Endurance

Ergometer – instrument of torture

Training Plan Structuren Four core sessions per weekn Typical winter session in gym/Ergos will last

maximum 90 minutesn On-water sessions will typically last 60-80

minutesn Sessions to start and finish promptlyn On occasion, two sessions may occur on

Saturdays/Sundaysn Training will taper off towards competition days.

Training Approachn Basic rowing movement and land fitness training

on ergometers and in gymn Rowing technique in boat, technical

drills/exercisesn Technical paddling will be done at low intensityn Basic sculling and rowing technique will be

taughtn Video will be used as a training tool, on water

and on Ergosn Squad members will get CDs containing all

footage of crews and individuals.

Testingn Critical part of training and development is the

ability to monitor progress towards goalsn One of the following tests will be performed

monthly- 20 minute test on Ergo- 1000m, 2000m test on Dorney Lake (still water)- 1500m (approx) test on Thames at Maidenhead- O ccasional, inform al sculling “heads”.

Other stuffnTerminology

- Standard ARA terminology will be used, except for exercise names which are often non-standard – a glossary will be provided

- S quad are expected to be “fluent”nCrew Selection

- Selection for boat places for competitions may be necessary

- Main Criteria will be commitment.

Training PeriodsnPlans covering the three main training

periods will exist:- September-December (created/agreed

August)- January-April (created/agreed December)- May-July (created/agreed April)- The period mid August to Mid September will be a „rest period‟.

Start-UpnPaul will present the overall Training

Strategy to the squad (end July/early August)

nCommitment is sought from each squad member to the plan to establish the need for equipment and whether IV or VIII (or quad) will be the primary training and competition boat.

Training bandsBand Type of work % max Rate SPM What it is good for How you feel

UT2 Utilisation 2. Light aerobic, low intensity work. Sustainable and fat-burning.

55-70 16-20split:

General cardiovascular (CV) fitness Relaxed. Able to carry on conversation.

UT1 Utilisation 1. Aerobic work using more oxygen.

70-80 20-24split:

Higher level of CV fitness. Working. Feeling warmer. Heart rate and respiration up. May sweat.

AT Anaerobic threshold. Harder work. On the aerobic limit.

80-85 24-28split:

High level of CV fitness. Building mental and physical endurance.

Hard work. Heart rate and respiration up. Carbon dioxide build up. Sweating. Breathing hard.

TR Oxygen Transportation. Working hard. Unsustainable for long periods. (2000m race pace)

85-95 28-32split:

Developing oxygen transport to the muscles under stress. Increasing cardiac output.

Stressed. Panting. Sweating freely.

AN Anaerobic (without oxygen). Short burst of maximum effort. Unsustainable. Burning carbohydrate. (500m race pace)

95-100 32+split:

Anaerobic work. Increasing speed. Accustoming body to work without oxygen.

Very stressful. Gasping. Sweating heavily.

Slide 25

A Tester Development Plan

Tester development plan -Principlesn Overload – testers need to be subjected to progressively

more demanding training to develop a broader skill-setn Recovery/Adaptation - adaptation takes place during

debrief, reflection, implementation – post-trainingn Specificity – training sessions should aim to develop a

specific area of technique or skilln Reversibility – the tester can reverse any of the

adaptations (i.e. stop training/using skills – lose those skills/capability)

n Evaluation – constant monitoring to plan training, adaptation and to improve the plan itself.

(1 Year) Goalsn Team goals

- To apply new methods/approaches consistently across the team, to the next project

- To make the team more flexible by acquiring new skills and making team members interchangeable

n Personal goals- To improve technical, planning, managerial skills in specific areas- To improve interpersonal skills in specific areas- To improve self-evaluation or independent evaluation scores- To be capable of taking responsibility for e.g. test planning, team

supervision, test reporting

Goals need to be related to capability,SMART* and RELEVANT

* specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and tangible

Ambition (planned achievements)nExamples:

- Prepare tests for a new application, unsupervised

- Manage product risks from requirements through to implementation

- Be recognised as a Centre of Excellence for test automation

Ambitions should reflect desirable achievements, scheduled to occur in less than a yearSMART* and RELEVANT

Overall Training Strategyn Testing theory: terminology, ideal process, underlying

principles, standards…n Testing skills: verbal reasoning, numerical/abstract

reasoning, fault diagnosis, accuracy…- http://www.criticalthinking.org/resources/TRK12-strategy-

list.shtmln Testing practice: practical hands-on – planning,

designing, running, exploring, incident logging…n Interpersonal skills: awareness of self and others,

listening, questioning, presenting, helping, influencing, negotiating, team w orking, m anaging relationships…

Development Plan StructurenPersonal development plann 360 degree feedback – colleagues,

managers, direct reports, customers, others…

nAgreed budget for off-the-job trainingnAgreed time allowance for on-the-job

trainingRegular review of the development plan as it‟s a living docum ent.

Training Approach examplen Testing theory: standard classroom or self-study courses

(ISEB for basics; focused, specialist courses on testing)n Testing skills: critical thinking skills, 35 of them – brief 1-2

hour focus every two weeksn Testing practice: organisational process, standards,

templates coached by peers; regular practical hands-on refreshers: test programs, exploring, incident logging

n Interpersonal skills: micro-skills can be taught and practiced in work and classroom situations; scenario-based case-studies, role-playing etc. cover higher-level skills.

Testing and feedbackn Test design quiz to measure/hone techniques

skillsn Testing/critical thinking practicals (Testing

Case Studies) :- Reviews of documents with known issues- Hands-on tests of software with known bugs- Incident reporting and independent assessment

n 360 feedback to review IP skillsn Post-project reviews.Testing needs to be competitive, non-threatening, informative and relevant.

Other stuffn T erm inology: team need to be “fluent”nTeam selection linked to development

attainmentnPromotion linked to development progress.

T esters need to regard „being selected‟ for a team as a key objective.

P rom otion com es from being a “first team ” regular.

T raining “P eriods”n T here is no „season‟ for testers, but developm ent

activities can be synchronised to projects- Between projects: post-project reviews, 360

feedback, classroom training, testing, development plan review, goal setting

- Early in projects: review participation, test design refresher courses

- Mid-project: Testing Case-Studies- Late-project: let the testers do their job; managers

should monitor performance at peak times- Project end-game: personal self-assessments,

prepare for 360 feedback

Start-Upn Team and individual development plans agreed

and com m unicated early in „the season‟n Commitment is sought from each individual to

the team and individual development plans to establish the need for additional resources, budget, time, equipment etc.

n Development plans can by synchronised with overall resource plans with effort allocated to development activities.

Training typesType Type of training What it is good for

Private Review Practical (TCS)

Standard technical review of documents with known problems

Critical thinking, perseverance, attention to detail, systematic approach

Review Participation Review, with others, of project documents

Independent, critical review; team working; review process; giving criticism; verbal/written communications; decision making

In-house inter personal skills courses

Classroom-based, workshop format with role playing and team discussion

Focused on specific interpersonal skills, as required.

Practice Testing and Bug Reporting

Practical testing of prepared programs, logging incidents

Hands on fluency with self-confidence to run tests, explore software programs, log incidents and compare with model incident reports.

ETC ETC

Slide 37

Coaching/Mentoring

Coach-Tester Relationshipn In sport – coaches are fundamental to

success – w hy don‟t test team s have a coach?

nTesters must trust the coach to observe, guide, advise, motivate

nCoach competences – to be effective, some very specific competences are required.

Coach competenciesn D on‟t need to be a current or ex-Olympic

medallist to coach Olympiansn D on‟t need to be a cham pion tester to

coach testersnFluency in the skills to be taught is

requirednEnthusiastic and ability to enthuse others.

Competencies 2n Communication skills are paramount

- How to communicate a vision- How to listen, observe, interpret- How to advise, cajole, convince, influence

n Observation, observation, observation!- Once the plan is set, all technical coaching input starts

with observation- Ability to identify, observe and communicate the

indicators of success.

Indicators of successn Wins of course, but competitions are infrequent!n Need to coach the tester to recognise the signs

of success, to self-motivate and wish to improven Signs of mastery (personal)

- Independent work, ability to consult/advise, scores in tests, confidence, comfort in their role, enjoyment

n Signs of achievement (in the eyes of peers)- Work rate, capacity, regarded as a master, peer role

m odel (“the one to copy/beat”).

communication

communication

communication!n Communication in terms of analogies,

metaphors, comparisons, examples, storiesn O ften, people don‟t understand straightforw ard

technical descriptionsn Need to make the message accessible by using

real-life stories or metaphorsn Interpersonal classes often use related, not

directly comparable examples to illustrate pointsn D on‟t underestim ate the value of hum our.

FeedbacknFeedback to the tester is critical:

- Technical faults (with care and consideration)- Test results and interpretation

nFeedback from the coach- Does the tester understand, appreciate the

point being made by the coach?- Does the tester believe/commit to the implicit,

explicit changes in behaviour being sought?

Motivation - SportnMotivation is more important in training

than in competition- Training lasts much longer, is costly in effort

and much more draining than competition- No instant reward – that‟s m onths aw ay

n In com petition, athletes shouldn‟t need motivating – competition is WHY we train- Competition is PAYBACK time for all those

long hours, effort, boredom, pain, injury.

Motivation - Testingn Motivation is more important on projects

- The job is continuous, lasts longer, costly in effort, more demanding, unrewarding perhaps

- Coach should be prominent in the team, asking questions, giving guidance, open to suggestion

- Coach should treat the project as an opportunity to learn, to witness the training being applied, to refine the training itself

n In training, testers shouldn‟t need m otivating- Training is often regarded as a REWARD in itself- But to train hard requires discipline and commitment.

Closen There are obvious parallels between the athlete

and tester‟s training, coaching and developm entn Personal and team development goals and plans

agreed and committed ton More attention on critical thinking, interpersonal

and practical (+ some theory) skills is requiredn Opportunities exist for training and evaluation on

the job itselfn Coaches/coaching are underused (if used at all).

gerrardconsulting.comuktmf.com

Thank-You!

Developing TestersWhat Can We Learn from Athletes?