Even if you have all of the right testing tools, experiences, and resources available to you during your software testing phase, there is still one ingredient vital to making this process a productive one: a positive attitude.
It may seem like common sense, but after weeks and months of working on one development effort, emotions and tensions can run high when it comes time to stress test a system and evaluate how well it aligns to requirements. Add in additional time pressures and a desire for zero to no defects, and the test environment can get charged.
So how can you leverage the power of positivity before, during, and after your software testing and make it one of your organization’s testing basics? Here are our key tips:
Keep Things in Perspective
As a QA manager, it is all too tempting to focus on the failures, the issues, the mishaps, and what could have been done differently. It’s also understandable to want to deliver a 100 percent defect-free piece of software.
However, it is important to keep things in perspective and equally weigh your efforts and results. Or, to put it another way, take the time to remind yourself and your team of the reasons behind software testing and that it is okay to identify improvements and remediate them before the product releases.
To help with the process, try setting small, incremental goals to improve quality rather than expecting perfection right away.
Focus on the Gains
Despite the development methodology’s use of the word “sprints,” the entire software development life cycle is more of a marathon.
Keep your team motivated by focusing on the progress you have made, the requirements achieved, and the functionality developed so far, rather than just the defects found.
Did your team tackle a big development hurdle that seemed insurmountable? Did a team member learn a new skill? Did your testers successfully knock their test roles out of the park?
If so, take time to acknowledge the hard work of your team members, testers, and other stakeholders to keep them involved and focused on the bigger picture.
Spread Your Positivity
Finally, although you may have heard it many times before, it is important to remember that attitude is contagious. It’s essential to spread a positive attitude wherever you go, but perhaps even more so in software testing.
Avoid only focusing on what went wrong when providing feedback. Also, take setbacks or mistakes in stride, using them as learning opportunities or chances to try something new.
On the other hand, if you see someone putting in extra effort, make sure to highlight their gains and contributions to the team.
Ultimately—as any software developer will tell you—software is never perfect right out of the gate. So be constructive and focus on identifying improvements and solutions instead of just highlighting problems.
Learn About the Art and Science of Software Testing
Software testing is stressful for any team, so whether you are the testing manager or the newest person on the team, ensure you do not make the experience harder than it has to be.
With the right mix of purpose-built tools and positive attitudes, your team can view this phase of your software development as a productive, positive period in which the product is made better and lessons are learned for the future.
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