Obstacles To Effective QA Management Part 4

Obstacles To Effective QA Management Part 4
“I’d say that each place was better than the last but I always felt I didn’t have enough management support and that I didn’t have the same leeway as the programmers, business analysts and such.” Matia admitted to Robyn the Business Improvement and Management consultant.

“I think Quality Assurance professionals often feel over pressured, under supported, and under appreciated,” Robyn noted. “Just think about it. Your job is to spot mistakes and omissions. It’s a positive and needed role but I have yet to encounter an organization whose people truly view it as such. Programmers take it personally. Project sponsors see QA as something that can keep them from coming in within budget and on schedule. Sometimes the QA team reports into the head of Development which poses a clear conflict of interest.

Since most companies don’t have a ‘build quality in from the beginning’ mindset, despite Six Sigma and CMMI, Quality Assurance is seldom treated as a partner that should be brought into the project at inception. Timelines are normally unrealistic and they slip; then formal Quality Assurance testing is the last phase before the project can be shipped out. Most everyone is tired and just wants it to be over.”

-To be Continued
Next Episode: Obstacles To Effective QA Management Part 5

Obstacles To Effective QA Management Part 3

Matia was telling Robyn about her work experiences prior to the QA Manager position with the Office on the Go team.

“I learned a lot but I got no support and often got a tongue lashing in meetings where they didn’t like the fact that I was finding issues that could delay their implementations.

Overtime I realized my boss knew office politics, not quality assurance.  I ultimately left that company when there was a reduction in force.  My boss chose to let me go instead of the other guys even though I had the best ratings.  I had the lowest pay grade and title in the group so he just eliminated my position to meet the across the board quota.

In fact, they’d transferred another woman into the group a few months before the RIF and we were both let go.  I really think she was transferred in to put a buffer of expendable people in the group.”

“So you came from a very competitive, non-supportive and aggressive climate.”  Robyn noted.  “Did you find your subsequent workplaces to be the same?”

“It’s gotten better over the years.  I’d say that each place was better than the last.”

- To be Continued
Next Episode: Obstacles To Effective QA Management Part 4

Obstacles To Effective QA Management Part 2

Matia was being led through an exercise by Robyn to uncover what was preventing her from allowing her QA Leads to perform their roles fully and without her interference.

“I like both of them but part of me feels they could dethrone me if I’m not careful.”  Matia confided.

“Has Matthew or Kelly ever expressed interest in heading a Quality Assurance department?” Robyn queried.

“No.”

“Have they ever displayed behaviors that you felt undermined your authority or position here?”

“Absolutely not.  They’re very loyal to me.”

“Tell me what your career was like before you got this position, Matia.”

“It was tough.  I started off as the youngest and only female in my group.  They were extremely patronizing and I had to learn my way around without any support from my manager or the men in my group.

I wound up taking some classes on my own time and out of pocket to improve my skills and not feel quite so anxious.  There I learned about an association I could join.  Basically I got my career support and professional development on the outside.

When my boss saw how pleased other people were with my work, he put me on the most difficult projects with the toughest people to get along with. ”

- To be Continued
Next Episode: Obstacles To Effective QA Management Part 3

 

Speak Up: How could your current situation change if you used this season to close out, take a breather and prepare based on your life’s call and principles?

How could your current situation change if you used this season to close out, take a breather and prepare based on your life’s call and principles?

Obstacles To Effective QA Management Part 1

Matia shrugged and said, “I don’t know” in response to Robyn’s question about what it would take for her to be comfortable allowing Matthew to perform all the tasks associated with his QA Lead position.

“Has there ever been a time when you were away for a week or more and Matthew had to fly solo?”

“No.  I haven’t taken any time off since this division was formed almost seven months ago.” Matia answered glumly.

“Hmm.  What’s the worst thing that could happen if Matthew was completely in charge?  Try this: Close your eyes; imagine that you’ve completely handed the reins of one project over to Matthew.  What comes to mind?  No thought censoring allowed.”  Robyn gently instructed her.

Matia did so and after a while she began to speak.  “Matthew is doing great.  He has good working relationships with Project Management and Systems & Integration.  People like working with him.  He does so well that Bobbi and Evan request he be put in charge of more projects.  I go away on vacation and return to find that he’s been selected as my replacement.”

“Is that really how you feel?” Robyn softly probed.

“Yes; and even more so with Kelly!”

- To be Continued
Next Episode: Obstacles To Effective QA Management Part 2

Matia Evaluates Her Team Part 2

Robyn passed her iPad containing the rating descriptions to Matia and gave Matia a moment to take it in.  “Does this rating scale seem appropriate to you?” Robyn asked.

“Yes, this is good.  I can work with this.”  Matia replied, handing back the iPad.

“All right.” Robyn said, “Matthew was the first person you mentioned; let’s start with him.”

 

Matia had finished evaluating her staff against the Quality Assurance Lead task list”.  Robyn prepared her for the next step.

“Now that we have a chart of how well your non-Test Lab staff can perform the QA Lead tasks, who could assume tasks that you have been performing?  I realize these people are already designated as either QA Leads or Testers.  However it’s clear that you do much of the QA Lead work yourself.”

“What is Matthew’s job title?”

“QA Lead.”  Matia replied.

“According to your evaluation, he’s either competent or highly competent for every item.  You’ve said that he has not been allowed to fully perform his role.  What do you need in place to ensure you remain sufficiently informed while letting Matthew be responsible for all the QA Lead tasks for an entire project?” Robyn asked. 

- To be Continued
Next Episode: Obstacles To Effective QA Management Part 1

Matia Evaluates Her Team Part 1

Matia finished listing the members of her QA staff for Robyn, a business and process improvement consultant: “They all do testing while Ravi, Tim, Edris and Lamia run the test lab.”

“Okay, you have a good sized team.  It sounds like we should focus on the Test Lab team separately.  Do you agree?”

Matia nodded so Robyn continued:

“Let’s go down the list.  I’ll read off the person’s name and you tell me how skilled they are at each of the QA Lead responsibilities.  We’ll use this rating system: highly competent; competent; needs improvement; not competent; or unknown.

Not competent means the person either does not know how to do the tasks or does it so poorly that problems are likely to result.  Needs improvement is appropriate for someone who is a beginner or does not do the task often enough to perform it without oversight and guidance.  Competent indicates the person can manage the tasks with little oversight or guidance and typically produces the desired results.

A highly competent person needs neither oversight nor guidance and should be able to provide instructions, oversight and guidance to others around that task provided her or she has sufficient communication, people, and training skills.” 

- To be Continued
Next Episode: Matia Evaluates Her Team Part 2