image courtesy:http://rainmedia.in/asterdubai/images/quality.jpg
The iron triangle of project management has scope+ time+
cost and at the core rests the Quality. Meaning none of the axes can be
compromised, which consequently impact Quality adversely.
So what’s about Quality? Well, everything boils down to Quality.
Standards are Quality measure. High standards attributes to High Quality.
Well, when thoughts transcend from personal experience as
Project Manager, I always ensured the quality team has the final word on
everything shipped much to the chagrin of the development team. They often
sparred as to ‘who called the shots?’ and I will put my best foot forward “I
do” to the eerie silence of the team.
A team is a bunch of individuals with their own talent,
and that’s why we refer recruitment more as Talent Acquisition. No matter
the nomenclature associated, no two individuals are going to be the same.
Like-minded perhaps, but unlikely twins in thoughts. So it’s a mixed pool.
Fundamentally its still the make, sell, support, and the Quality team falls
under the support bucket while developers act as the breadwinners in the ‘make’
stream, and hence feel privileged and even entitled.
At the inception of the project, when the Developers roll
up the sleeves and get busy writing Unit Cases, testers too are full of
activity preparing test cases. So the any claim of entitlement is very juvenile
in judgement and I dare say never to expect anything additional other than the
allocated.
One incident always enlivens and worth narrating. He was
a super-duper geek that touching his code is deemed an insult. It’s like rinsed
with Listerine mouth freshener every five minutes that
the teeth are sparkling white and fragrant. One should marvel at the
pride taken in their work that they come down to challenge “check my code and
any bug, I am toasted else you are roasted”. I found a demure girl, belying her
age, walking up to the rock star “I am sorry but there seems to be a bug”. A
volcano just erupted. When the pride is pricked, what else can you expect?
Fireworks. I was observing the exchange from a distance but didn't intervene.
They are professionals and ought to conduct like one. A dent to his dignity, he
mounts a ferocious attack justifying every nook and corner while the tester
patiently hears him out. After a full fifteen minutes of explanation, the girl
calmly states “I understand but it’s a bug”. The developer slams his forehead
and unloads a heap of curses in which one expletive burst out unbeknown. Now
discipline and decorum can never be conceded at any cost.
Since the unfortunate exchange happened on the floor, the
shrill pitch made heads turn around. The lady was unmoved and strangely didn't
emote at all but retained her composure. The developer, in sharp contrast, was
belligerent and a nervous wreck. However sharp you might be, team play takes
prominence and position. Both approached my desk and my silence spelled ANGER.
My glare at nowhere but all ears, I wanted to hear one word ‘sorry’ instead he
defied everything that’s sacrosanct and conduct hardly propriety. I demanded
‘Apologize. Now’. It was not a counsel but a command, and reluctantly he budged
and muttered the apology. He might be a rock star but that lady’s attitude made
her much taller and he dwarfed in stature. I then requested the tester to walk
through the bug and she clearly made her case which was watertight. Confounded
with the bug and confused as how his code can be cracked, the developer was at
his wits ends and close to tears. Passion is different to taking things
personal. After all to err is human. Managing people is far too different and
difficult than project. My call still remained unaltered ‘the tester will have
the final word’ and pausing “if the client finds fault in the UAT [User
Acceptance Testing], it will the tester who will be taken to task”. Even that
developer smiled. Much rests on the shoulders of the tester who are
gate-keepers. Nothing can or should slip or creep between their legs. With an
eye for details and investigating instincts to sniff something unusual, they
treat every test case as a suspect and once convinced of merits pass it for
clearance. That tester demonstrated typical traits expected – the poise,
politeness, profound knowledge, patience, perseverance, while the other
(Developer) displayed pettiness. Her signature statement was bereft of
sentiment but well stated “I am more concerned about the Quality of the Project
just as you are about the principles of Project Management.”
Well said!
Quality Management is a key knowledge area in PMP®
Certification exam. For more details visit http://goo.gl/U4Rtez
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