Tristan Lombard hosted a thoughtful chat with Lisi and João on LinkedIn, here are some of the thoughts that resonated with me:
João: When entering a new team, make the effort to talk to people one-on-one to understand their perspectives on testing & quality. Ask them about what the biggest challenges are, what have they tried, as well as what’s been going well. Then look for patterns that emerge from that feedback to find opportunities for improvement.
Lisi: When faced with a multitude of things to get done, write them all down, and evaluate each to determine the most valuable, impactful thing that you could do. Make that your priority. Voice your intention & reasoning to get input from others on additional information that might change the priority.
Lisi: Focus on high collaboration, fast feedback, and aim for what has tangible value to the organization.
João: When discussing what your priorities are, instead of talking about tasks, talk about the impact and outcomes that you are targeting.
Lisi: People come first. People are at the foundation of everything that we can and do achieve together.
João: If you are having trouble getting invited to meetings, ask to review documents that are being discussed in those meetings, and provide your feedback asynchronously. If you still aren’t getting a seat at the table, make your own table! Schedule your own sessions for collaborative work, with clear goals and agendas.
Tristan: It is possible to build internal visibility via external output. If you’re not being recognized for the work you are doing within your organization, contribute to your community to grow your impact.
João: Once you start to build your influence, recognize who your allies are, while considering how you can employ your privilege in the service of others.
Lisi: You are not alone. You may be the only one in your dedicated role, but we are not alone in our struggles, and we’re not alone on our journey.
Joanna Denni 