Usage of words

I came across the following tweet:

Testing vs. checking is a low value semantic argument used by a cult for proving worthiness in the cult. All it ever was or will be.

— Marlena Compton (@marlenac) May 18, 2017

I tried to reply on Twitter but the message I tried to portray did not come across in the way I wanted it to.

Disclaimer:  I am not, nor ever have been a member of any cult.

Marlenas' words came across very strongly and appear to be based upon their negative experience when encountering discussions on the use of these words.  Others stepped in with their own experiences and the main message seems to be that the use of these words have been to derailed important discussions.  I find that a shame, since to me the distinction with these words has been useful to help talk to executives and others from outside the testing world about the risks of unfocused automation and testing.

My concern in the statement by Marlena is that the distinction is of low value  and a semantic argument.   Semantics and the meaning of words is vital for society to be able to flourish and this has been going on for a long time.  People have argued over what certain words mean and over time the meaning of some words change.  Some are taken over to deride or insult people and sometimes these words are reclaimed by those who are being insulted.  For example the word "Queer" to some this is a hostile word to others it is a badge of honor.

I worked in Israel for awhile and often would get strange looks when running workshops and replying to a question I would say 'smallish' It was awhile before I figured out that 'ish; is Hebrew for 'man' and I was saying 'small man'.  Culturally words can have different meaning and cause confusion, the same can be said of the words'checking 'and 'testing'  Using these words in the right situation and context to inform and have a discussion can be useful however if used to make a point or win an argument it becomes less useful.  If used in an attempt to show superior intellect then the discussion is already lost.

I use the distinction between the words when discussing the testing effort.  How much checking has been done against the amount of testing that has been done.  How much effort have we spent on putting in place explicit knowledge, information we feel we know, against the effort on information that we do not know, tacit.  Knowing the difference between these two items can be vital to help mitigate risk.  If all the effort and money is being spent on checking with very little testing then there could be a risk that something we do not know could be dangerous.  Unless we spend a little more effort on testing to uncover more of what we do not already know then there is unknown risks.  Another example could be that the product is mature and changes are minor so more effort is put into the checking.

For me having these meanings helps to inform and tell a story.  I do not use them to score points or be a member of a cult I use them because they have a value to me in my context.  I do not really care if you use these words or not.  I have explained how I use them and the usefulness I find in them.  Yes I will discuss with people why I feel the distinction has value but at the same time I respect others opinions and viewpoints.  To me it is a useful tool to be able to communicate with teams around the world.

Testing Skills #6 - Speaking the language of business

The following short article is based on a talk given by Keith Klain at both CAST and Testbash

• Talking to C Level Management about testing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn-2iIs-VBA - CAST

• How to talk to your CIO if you really have to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CurOi7jKJ1M - Testbash

As testers we find it difficult to explain our value when we get given opportunities to talk to senior executives in companies.  We normally end up talking about the technicalities of testing or even worse talking down to them as if they do not understand how really important testing is.  The most important rule when talking to business people about testing is…

“Do not talk to them about testing”

You should instead try to make them feel comfortable in the knowledge that you as the person assigned the role of ensuring testing is done, have it covered.

Instead focus on how the testing approach you use is aligned to the business strategy of the company and how your role help the business be successful.  Talk to them in terms of business and how you align testing to the business.  What value does what you do add or prevent the business from losing money or customers.

Business people are focused on risk and trying to avoid risk that impacts the bottom line. When talking to executives instead of saying we should not be automating everything; talk instead about the risks associated with attempting to automate everything.  The business costs to maintain or the risk of not uncovering information that could cause loss in value to the business.  Talking about checking and testing can be useful to help people understand the value of what we do.  It is important to present a balanced view and explain the benefit of both and how using both can mitigate risk.

Look at providing examples to the executives of the bad things that we are going to do to the customer if we do not test properly.   Ask them how you can help with their decisions to help your clients and protect business value. 

If your company is listed on the stock market, do you read or watch your company financial statements?  This gives useful insights to their important values.  Learning the financial language of your company can be useful when talking.  With this information you can now tailor your discussion around the value your testing provides to the whole organization. Many tester focus on the value that they provide or that the testing provides, instead focus on defining the value of the whole team delivering the product. Explain how the testing is aligned to delivering as a team rather than focusing on testing. Look at the company annual report; it highlights their risks and issues.  Understand what that is and align your testing to this.  

Most importantly, be prepared.  If you know you are going to talk to these people understanding what is important to them, what motivates and drives them. Having this information can help build a relationship around their aspirations and make them feel you understand them and what their needs are.

As Keith states “Focus on the big stuff and work back from there.” that is what the executives are really interested in.