Developing Testers What Can We Learn from Athletes?

Developing TestersWhat Can We Learn from

Athletes?

Assurance with IntelligenceSlide 1

Paul GerrardGerrard Consulting1 Old Forge CloseMaidenheadBerkshireSL6 2RD UK

e: [email protected]: http://gerrardconsulting.comt: 01628 639173

Why did I put this talk together? Athlete Development

- 2 Minute Introduction to Rowing- A (Development) Squad Training Plan

Tester Development- A Tester Development Plan- Coaching/Mentoring

Close

Agenda


Good question! Well… I coach and train testers and rowers Similarities?

- Me, being a know-all, telling other people stuff so they can meet an objective (or two)

- Mainly about human interaction, trial and error, trial and success, behaviour changes driven by feedback

Differences- One mainly ‘physical’, the other completely

mental.

Why did I put this talk together?


I believe that there enough similarities in overall objective, that some of the methods used in one, could be used in the other

By looking at another discipline, we might obtain insights to how we might improve the way we develop as testers

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Why did I put this talk together? 2


Introduction to Rowing


Sculling- Each sculler has two sculls (oars)

- Single, double, quads (coxed/coxless), octuples (coxed)

Rowing- Each rower/oarsman/woman has one oar or blade

- Pair, Four (coxed/coxless) or Eights (coxed) Cox – the little guy who steers and gives orders Basic movement in rowing and sculling is the

same.

Rowing 101


Slide 8

From the power of eights…


Slide 9

…to the grace of a single sculler ;-)

Slide 9

Something more graceful than me


Womens’ Head of the River 2006

A (Development) SquadTraining Plan


Squad goals- To represent MRC in three head races and three summer

regattas at Novice level- To improve crew endurance to achieve target time for

2000m on Dorney Lake in IV and/or VIII – March- To improve crew technique to match Women’s squad

Personal goals- To improve specific points of rowing technique for each

individual- To achieve an agreed level of skill in a single sculling boat- To improve PBs on Ergometer for 500m, 2000m, 5000m

by agreed targets- To be capable of rowing in Womens squad next season.

1 Year Goals


Achieve one novice head event win in IV or VIII for all squad members

Achieve one novice summer regatta win in any boat for all squad members

Win a pot at Maidenhead Regatta?

Ambition


Overload - athletes subjected to progressively higher stresses to develop strength and endurance

Recovery - adaptation takes place during recovery, not the training session itself

Specificity – training sessions will aim to develop a specific area of technique or physiology

Reversibility – the body can reverse any of the adaptations (i.e. stop training – lose speed, strength etc.)

Evaluation – constant monitoring to plan training, recovery and improve the plan itself.

Training Principles


Five key areas- Rowing technique

- Flexibility/mobility

- Strength

- Power

- Endurance

Overall Training Strategy


Ergometer – instrument of torture


Four core sessions per week Typical winter session in gym/Ergos will last

maximum 90 minutes On-water sessions will typically last 60-80

minutes Sessions to start and finish promptly On occasion, two sessions may occur on

Saturdays/Sundays Training will taper off towards competition

days.

Training Plan Structure


Basic rowing movement and land fitness training on ergometers and in gym

Rowing technique in boat, technical drills/exercises

Technical paddling will be done at low intensity Basic sculling and rowing technique will be

taught Video will be used as a training tool, on water

and on Ergos Squad members will get CDs containing all

footage of crews and individuals.

Training Approach


Critical part of training and development is the ability to monitor progress towards goals

One of the following tests will be performed monthly- 20 minute test on Ergo

- 1000m, 2000m test on Dorney Lake (still water)

- 1500m (approx) test on Thames at Maidenhead

- Occasional, informal sculling “heads”.

Testing


Terminology- Standard ARA terminology will be used,

except for exercise names which are often non-standard – a glossary will be provided

- Squad are expected to be “fluent” Crew Selection

- Selection for boat places for competitions may be necessary

- Main Criteria will be commitment.

Other stuff


Plans covering the three main training periods will exist:- September-December (created/agreed

August)

- January-April (created/agreed December)

- May-July (created/agreed April)

- The period mid August to Mid September will be a ‘rest period’.

Training Periods


Paul will present the overall Training Strategy to the squad (end July/early August)

Commitment is sought from each squad member to the plan to establish the need for equipment and whether IV or VIII (or quad) will be the primary training and competition boat.

Start-Up


Training bandsBand Type of work % max Rate SPM What it is good for How you feel

UT2 Utilisation 2. Light aerobic, low intensity work. Sustainable and fat-burning.

55-70 16-20split:

General cardiovascular (CV) fitness Relaxed. Able to carry on conversation.

UT1 Utilisation 1. Aerobic work using more oxygen.

70-80 20-24split:

Higher level of CV fitness. Working. Feeling warmer. Heart rate and respiration up. May sweat.

AT Anaerobic threshold. Harder work. On the aerobic limit.

80-85 24-28split:

High level of CV fitness. Building mental and physical endurance.

Hard work. Heart rate and respiration up. Carbon dioxide build up. Sweating. Breathing hard.

TR Oxygen Transportation. Working hard. Unsustainable for long periods. (2000m race pace)

85-95 28-32split:

Developing oxygen transport to the muscles under stress. Increasing cardiac output.

Stressed. Panting. Sweating freely.

AN Anaerobic (without oxygen). Short burst of maximum effort. Unsustainable. Burning carbohydrate. (500m race pace)

95-100 32+split:

Anaerobic work. Increasing speed. Accustoming body to work without oxygen.

Very stressful. Gasping. Sweating heavily.


A Tester Development Plan


Overload – testers need to be subjected to progressively more demanding training to develop a broader skill-set

Recovery/Adaptation - adaptation takes place during debrief, reflection, implementation – post-training

Specificity – training sessions should aim to develop a specific area of technique or skill

Reversibility – the tester can reverse any of the adaptations (i.e. stop training/using skills – lose those skills/capability)

Evaluation – constant monitoring to plan training, adaptation and to improve the plan itself.

Tester development plan - Principles


Team goals- To apply new methods/approaches consistently across

the team, to the next project- To make the team more flexible by acquiring new skills

and making team members interchangeable Personal goals

- To improve technical, planning, managerial skills in specific areas

- To improve interpersonal skills in specific areas- To improve self-evaluation or independent evaluation

scores- To be capable of taking responsibility for e.g. test

planning, team supervision, test reporting

(1 Year) Goals


Goals need to be related to capability,SMART* and RELEVANT

* specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and tangible

Examples:- Prepare tests for a new application,

unsupervised

- Manage product risks from requirements through to implementation

- Be recognised as a Centre of Excellence for test automation

Ambition (planned achievements)


Ambitions should reflect desirable achievements, scheduled to occur in less than a yearSMART* and RELEVANT

Testing theory: terminology, ideal process, underlying principles, standards…

Testing skills: verbal reasoning, numerical/abstract reasoning, fault diagnosis, accuracy…- http://www.criticalthinking.org/resources/TRK12-strategy-

list.shtml Testing practice: practical hands-on – planning,

designing, running, exploring, incident logging… Interpersonal skills: awareness of self and others,

listening, questioning, presenting, helping, influencing, negotiating, teamworking, managing relationships…

Overall Training Strategy


Personal development plan 360 degree feedback – colleagues,

managers, direct reports, customers, others…

Agreed budget for off-the-job training Agreed time allowance for on-the-job

training

Development Plan Structure


Regular review of the development plan as it’s a living document.

Testing theory: standard classroom or self-study courses (ISEB for basics; focused, specialist courses on testing)

Testing skills: critical thinking skills, 35 of them – brief 1-2 hour focus every two weeks

Testing practice: organisational process, standards, templates coached by peers; regular practical hands-on refreshers: test programs, exploring, incident logging

Interpersonal skills: micro-skills can be taught and practiced in work and classroom situations; scenario-based case-studies, role-playing etc. cover higher-level skills.

Training Approach example


Test design quiz to measure/hone techniques skills

Testing/critical thinking practicals (Testing Case Studies) :- Reviews of documents with known issues

- Hands-on tests of software with known bugs

- Incident reporting and independent assessment 360 feedback to review IP skills Post-project reviews.

Testing and feedback


Testing needs to be competitive, non-threatening, informative and relevant.

Terminology: team need to be “fluent”

Team selection linked to development attainment

Promotion linked to development progress.

Other stuff


Testers need to regard ‘being selected’ for a team as a key objective.

Promotion comes from being a “first team” regular.

There is no ‘season’ for testers, but development activities can be synchronised to projects- Between projects: post-project reviews, 360

feedback, classroom training, testing, development plan review, goal setting

- Early in projects: review participation, test design refresher courses

- Mid-project: Testing Case-Studies- Late-project: let the testers do their job;

managers should monitor performance at peak times

- Project end-game: personal self-assessments, prepare for 360 feedback

Training “Periods”


Team and individual development plans agreed and communicated early in ‘the season’

Commitment is sought from each individual to the team and individual development plans to establish the need for additional resources, budget, time, equipment etc.

Development plans can by synchronised with overall resource plans with effort allocated to development activities.

Start-Up


Training typesType Type of training What it is good for

Private Review Practical (TCS)

Standard technical review of documents with known problems

Critical thinking, perseverance, attention to detail, systematic approach

Review Participation Review, with others, of project documents

Independent, critical review; team working; review process; giving criticism; verbal/written communications; decision making

In-house inter personal skills courses

Classroom-based, workshop format with role playing and team discussion

Focused on specific interpersonal skills, as required.

Practice Testing and Bug Reporting

Practical testing of prepared programs, logging incidents

Hands on fluency with self-confidence to run tests, explore software programs, log incidents and compare with model incident reports.

ETC ETC


Coaching/Mentoring


In sport – coaches are fundamental to success – why don’t test teams have a coach?

Testers must trust the coach to observe, guide, advise, motivate

Coach competences – to be effective, some very specific competences are required.

Coach-Tester Relationship


Don’t need to be a current or ex-Olympic medallist to coach Olympians

Don’t need to be a champion tester to coach testers

Fluency in the skills to be taught is required

Enthusiastic and ability to enthuse others.

Coach competencies


Communication skills are paramount- How to communicate a vision

- How to listen, observe, interpret

- How to advise, cajole, convince, influence Observation, observation, observation!

- Once the plan is set, all technical coaching input starts with observation

- Ability to identify, observe and communicate the indicators of success.

Competencies 2


Wins of course, but competitions are infrequent!

Need to coach the tester to recognise the signs of success, to self-motivate and wish to improve

Signs of mastery (personal)- Independent work, ability to consult/advise, scores

in tests, confidence, comfort in their role, enjoyment Signs of achievement (in the eyes of peers)

- Work rate, capacity, regarded as a master, peer role model (“the one to copy/beat”).

Indicators of success


Communication in terms of analogies, metaphors, comparisons, examples, stories

Often, people don’t understand straightforward technical descriptions

Need to make the message accessible by using real-life stories or metaphors

Interpersonal classes often use related, not directly comparable examples to illustrate points

Don’t underestimate the value of humour.

communication

communication

communication!


Feedback to the tester is critical:- Technical faults (with care and

consideration)

- Test results and interpretation Feedback from the coach

- Does the tester understand, appreciate the point being made by the coach?

- Does the tester believe/commit to the implicit, explicit changes in behaviour being sought?

Feedback


Motivation is more important in training than in competition- Training lasts much longer, is costly in effort

and much more draining than competition

- No instant reward – that’s months away In competition, athletes shouldn’t need

motivating – competition is WHY we train- Competition is PAYBACK time for all those

long hours, effort, boredom, pain, injury.

Motivation - Sport


Motivation is more important on projects- The job is continuous, lasts longer, costly in

effort, more demanding, unrewarding perhaps- Coach should be prominent in the team, asking

questions, giving guidance, open to suggestion- Coach should treat the project as an

opportunity to learn, to witness the training being applied, to refine the training itself

In training, testers shouldn’t need motivating- Training is often regarded as a REWARD in itself- But to train hard requires discipline and

commitment.

Motivation - Testing


There are obvious parallels between the athlete and tester’s training, coaching and development

Personal and team development goals and plans agreed and committed to

More attention on critical thinking, interpersonal and practical (+ some theory) skills is required

Opportunities exist for training and evaluation on the job itself

Coaches/coaching are underused (if used at all).

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Thank-You!

Developing TestersWhat Can We Learn from

Athletes?


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Developing Testers What Can We Learn from Athletes?