3 STEPS TO IMPROVE YOUR TEST-DEV RELATIONSHIP
By Jenny Bramble
Nearly everything in the relationship between development and test comes down to trust. Testers, do you trust your developer to think about edge cases? Do you trust dev to test? Do you trust developers to have your back if you say there's a blocking bug? Developers, do you trust your testers to present valid defects? Do you trust them to fully document defects? Do you trust them to accurately represent use cases?
You might say yes—but how often do you feel some hesitation, thinking of when someone has let you down? It's a common issue with teams that's even more evident when the lack of trust is between developer and tester. A lack of trust causes a breakdown of team dynamics and undermines their effectiveness. < So how do you start building trust between these two groups? By improving one relationship at a time. Each relationship that holds more trust is an example to the team and makes developing the next relationship easier.
Start by choosing someone to start a relationship with. Look for a developer or tester who already has a quality team mindset. Starting with someone who is already inclined toward listening is much easier and will let you more quickly have a relationship to hold up as an example.
In Jenny's experience, choosing a mid-level developer or a mid-level tester has been very valuable. Such developers will generally have enough experience and pull to start positively affecting the other relationships around them.
Once you've decided to work on improving your relationship with a particular tester or developer, these three steps will help you on your journey. Begin by setting clear goals and needs, work on owning your mistakes, and make sure you respect the knowledge they will give you by learning on your own.
Set clear goals and needs
Developers and testers form one of the most important partnerships in a software development team. When we are on the same page about each other's needs and goals, our partnership is even stronger.
Start by thinking about what your goals are as individuals and as a team. Is it to break software? To create bug-free software? To get paid? To create the next big thing? Writing down these goals will let you formalize them and communicate them clearly. You'll often find that the team's goals are very aligned, which starts to set the stage for a solid, trusting relationship. Everyone trusts that the team is working for the same goals.