Like in any other software development life cycle,
Testing too requires some important factors to develop and maintain for
continuous process improvement. One such factor is Team Building. While
building a right team, focus should be on the following key elements:
Roles and
Responsibilities
It is very important for the team members to understand
what they are supposed to do. This was quite often not communicated or
discussed with the team. Before start of a project, the team members must be
explained on the typical tasks which they will be performing on a daily basis
for their respective roles. Be it a tester or a test lead, setting the
expectations and explaining what is expected out of them will give correct
results without unnecessary delays or errors.
Following points need to be clarified to the team:
• Scope
of the Project
• Roles
and Responsibilities expected from everyone
• Key
points to focus like Deliverable s, Timelines etc.
• Explain
about the Strategy and Plan
And above all, the team members have the primary
responsibility to keep in mind their career aspirations, growth, learning etc.
which will be the key motivators to perform in their current roles to excel.
Knowledge Transfer
It is very vital for the Testers to understand the Domain
as well as the functions of the application to be able to thoroughly test the
application under test. KT sessions are very essential to make them understand
the core functions and logics, which will be used to apply during testing.
Brainstorming sessions are vital to share common understanding of application
and domain.
Discussion should involve testers right from the project
initial discussions which essentially consists of Business people, Architects,
Developers, Database experts etc.. Involving testers during these early stages
of software development will provide good knowledge and understanding about the
application that is going to be developed and tested.
Domain Knowledge
Understanding the application’s Domain (e.g. Healthcare,
Insurance etc) is very important and will be helpful for Testers to verify the
functionality with a different perspective, wearing the hat of the end customer
as well as a SME. It takes time and only over the period of working in a
particular domain, the resource will be able to familiarize on the domain he is
working. Sometimes, a tester will get a chance to test different applications
belonging to the same domain, so testing becomes easier and meaningful if he
has knowledge on the overall domain.
Technical and
Domain Certifications
Having a talented pool of testers is definitely a big
asset for the project. The focus should be to train the team and get them
certified in the respective areas they work by nominating for internal
certifications. There are also a host of external certifications which can also
be selected and get the team trained.
Certifications will definitely give the team a moral
support and maturity to perform testing with confidence. Domain certified
resources will also leverage the intellectual knowledge gain which can be
showcased to prospective clients for new business opportunities.
Career Ladder
It’s not enough to create just a team of testers with all
skill set, but to provide opportunities for them to come up their career ladder
is also significantly important. Create or nominate to programs to shape them
eligible for their next level of role will obviously fulfil the needs of
identifying resources when required. Team meetings can be effectively utilized
to emphasize their roles and responsibilities in their next level. Educating
them the various skills required to perform in their next roles is a very good
advantage and also a continuous process improvement. Every Manager has the
responsibility to explain about the duties that are expected to be performed
when the resources are getting promoted. This will make sure that not just a
set of resources are promoted, but a ready-to-work responsible and skilled
individuals are.
Team Dynamics and
Group Outing
It’s quite obvious to ensure there is a level of team
dynamics established and followed by the team for effective group work, meeting
common goals, finishing panned targets and achieving on time. Making them
understand that “Project” is the common objective for all in the project and completing
what the customer wants is “Priority”. To accomplish this, everyone should work
together as a “Team” leaving all differences behind and completing the planned
tasks is the only “Target”. During weekly team meetings, the team members
should receive the information on Tasks, Priorities for the next period and
have common understanding on the work to be performed, clear and loud.
Team building exercises and outings are really necessary
to burn out the stress and for a good recharge. This will also help for a
better understanding outside the project works and in a different environment
altogether. Small token of appreciation can be announced during team meetings
to identify talents and to encourage and motivate others to perform.
Source :STH
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