Presenting Test Results w/ Clarity and Confidence - STAR East 2013

Presenting Test Results with Clarity and Confidence

April 2013 © 2013 Congruent Compliance LLC 1

Griffin Jones Consultant Agile / Testing / Regulatory


• Present my current working model of how to: – clearly and confidently – prepare and present your testing results

• This presentation covers the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How - plus the Traps – of that model

• Tell a Story – Audience, Content, Preparation, and Practice

• Intentional Practice –Clarity

• Clearness of expression

–Confidence • Faith in one's abilities


Practice, Practice, Practice

HOW DO YOU GET TO CARNEGIE HALL?


When are you training your dog?

You are always training your dog.

When are you presenting your testing results?

You are always presenting your testing results.

WHEN?


WHO ARE YOU PRESENTING TO?

Customers

Other Testers Stakeholders

Lawyers

Executives

Auditors

Project Managers

Project Team Members

Service

Operations Development

Partners Sales & Marketing


WHAT ARE THEIR CONCERNS?

Is project management effective? What is the status of the project?

Am I getting value?

Will this add value to my business?

Did they follow their process?

What are the legal risks?

How does this influence the business model? Am I getting value?

How should I adjust my testing?

Can I support this in the field?

Can I sell this?

How do we coordinate?

Can I deploy it?

Is the task done-done?

Can I integrate my stuff with theirs?

How does this influence my concerns?


WHAT DO THEY WANT?!

WHEN DO THEY WANT IT?!

Information!

Now! (you have two minutes)

• Information based on Observation – Otherwise it is analysis, induction,

and speculation


WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION?

• Testing is an informational function – You are paying to Learn something

Adapted from “The Big Book of Perfect Testing” by James Bullock

• Information is valuable if the audience uses it – Otherwise it is entertainment

• Reduces damaging uncertainty – (and certainty) – About the perceived state of

three fundamental questions


WHY DOES IT HAVE VALUE?

Adapted from “The Big Book of Perfect Testing” by James Bullock Adapted from “The Testing Team's Motto” by Brian Marick Adapted from a conversation with Michael Bolton


QUESTION 1: THE PRODUCT

How good is the Product?

Adapted from “Rapid Software Test Management” by James Bach and Michael Bolton

(By “good”, I mean: reduce damaging uncertainty (and certainty) about the perceived state of …)


QUESTION 2: THE TESTING

How good is the Testing?

Adapted from “Rapid Software Test Management” by James Bach and Michael Bolton

(By “good”, I mean: reduce damaging uncertainty (and certainty) about the perceived state of …)


QUESTION 3A: HOW GOOD IS YOUR JUDGMENT?

Testing Techniques are Endless Avoid Ritual

Lich Stefan Schäfer

and Administration

Adapted from “Rapid Software Test Management” by Bach and Bolton Adapted from “The Big Book of Perfect Testing” by James Bullock


QUESTION 3B: RITUAL VERSUS ADMINISTRATION

The correct technique is the one that best gets you the information you need to take a better next step

than you would otherwise

Adapted from “Rapid Software Test Management” by Bach and Bolton and “The Big Book of Perfect Testing” by James Bullock

Stuck on a technique rather than the results,

you have descended into ritual

Unwilling to discover, embrace, or invent whatever technique it

takes to find the information you need, you have

descended into administration


QUESTION 3C: HOW GOOD IS YOUR CREDIBILITY?

Why should you be happy with the testing we did and did not do?

More T, Less BS Setup

Bug

Test

Adapted from “Rapid Software Test Management” by Bach and Bolton Adapted from “More T, Less BS” by Jon Bach


PREPARING TO TELL YOUR STORY

Always be prepared

15

Model

Competent

Honest

Evidence

Control

Willing

Congruent


CONGRUENT

Equal respect for: Self, Other, Context

Insides match the outsides

What is the best thing you could say or do to get the result you want?

Cybernetic Focus

Blame, Placate, Ultra-Reasonable

Adapted from “More Secrets of Consulting” by Gerald Weinberg and from conversations with James Bullock


THEORY

Honest Competent Process Model

Dishonest Incompetent Inadequate

Self-Incrimination

Experts & Heroes

Over-

Constrained

• Tests – How do we react to criticism? – Are we a Learning Organization? (Fifth Discipline)


HONEST Trust

Sincerity

Integrity

Truthful

Words, Actions, Documents


COMPETENT Speaks the Language

Understands Technology and Context

Credible Capable

Trained in the Industry

• Test – Are we capable of doing good work?


Complete

PROCESS MODEL Explainable

Logical

Practical

Reasonable

• Tests – What problem is the model trying to solve? – How will the model fail?


PRACTICE

Unwilling Out-of-Control Hand-Waving

Willing

Under Control

Evidence

Excessive

Micro-Management

Obsessive-

Compulsive

• Test – Do people care enough to provide sufficient

resources?


WILLING Focused

Nurtured

Given Attention Staffed

Supported

Committed Motivated

Resourced Prioritized

• Test – Are the types and levels of controls appropriate?

(prescriptive versus discretionary)


Configuration

CONTROL

Preparation and

Planning

Checking and

Testing

Prevention and

Correction

Review

Accountability

Traceability


EVIDENCE

Reconstructable Reviewable

Contemporary

Attributable

Human Readable

Retrievable Objective

Clear

• Test – How does specific evidence meet the criteria?


PRESENTATION TRAPS

Too formal

Too much preparation required

Too little content

Not knowing the audience

Over or under-telling stories

Not listening and engaging

Presentation format and content abdication

Meaning without Data, or Data without Meaning

Not knowing your purpose and role

Lack of practice

Clarity

Confidence

• Practice, Practice, Practice • You are always presenting your results • Know the concerns of your different

stakeholders • Stakeholders want fast information, or fast

learning – Based on observation – Used to inform a decision


SUMMARY A …


… SUMMARY B • Information is valuable because it reduces

damaging uncertainty and certainty – about the product, testing, and your judgment

and credibility

• Prepare by monitoring whether you are Congruent

• While focusing on the six qualities of: Honest, Competent, Process Model, Willing, Control, and Evidence


BIG POINTS Relax - You know what you are doing

Keep it Simple You Practice this

all the time

Clarity

Confidence

• “Rapid Software Test Management” by James Bach and Michael Bolton

• “More T, Less BS” by Jon Bach • “The Big Book of How to Do Perfect Testing” by

James Bullock • “Surviving an FDA Audit” by Griffin Jones • “The Testing Team’s Motto” by Brian Marick • “More Secrets of Consulting” by Gerald M Weinberg


REFERENCES


QUESTIONS

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Griffin Jones

[email protected]
