The right feeling for the discussion...

12 years of functional software testing and in those years I've had many many talks and discussions with developers.
Smart developers, clever ones, very systematic ones, very louzy ones, extremely senior ones, very junior, very dumb, and what I call "top-gun developers, best of the best".

Anyways, there is one thing in common with all those talks and discussions. You get a certain feeling when you're debating about the functioning of the software.


This can lead to the following situation:
- The developer is wrong and the tester is right.
tester: the text is bold. developer: the text is not bold.

- The tester is wrong and the developer is right.
developer: the text is bold. tester: the text is not bold.

- Both are wrong.
developer: the text is not bold. tester: the text is not bold.
(or
developer: the text is not black. tester: the text is not bold.)

- Both are right.
developer: the text is bold. tester: the text is black.
​(or... etc)

You´re reading on a mobile device? I allready know... but how about that for a nice example in software testing, right? let's keep it this way for fun.

- Neither one of both is wrong or right. (catch-22)
blue buttons says: the red button is right. red button says: the blue button is false.

(for my fellow Dutch: ik stond bij de Xenos kassa en iemand zei: dat is landelijk... ik dacht aan Nederland en zag toen wat ze bedoelde... plattelands-look... dat voorbeeld is te mooi om te gebruiken.)
(in short: a word with a double meaning.)

(other example: the owner of the company walks in and says: "everything is going to be changed!").


However the case...

The feeling I get with the discussion I always used to relate to with volleyball... don't ask me why.... 
But the thing is: 
When I had the feeling the developer and myself are both on 1 side of the net each...
like this:

Then for me it was/is the sign: 
Whoever is wrong or right, it actually doesn't matter much... this is 0% cooperative, not very usefull, no synergy...., no symbiose, whatever you call it, but the feeling that goes along with the talk/discussion didn't give me energy.

So how should it be?

Whenever a developer (or a manager, or...) asks a software tester... 'Can you test this for me?'
And by means of the testing I provide the right kind of information. Then in the talk I notice it produces good energy, symbiose, synergy... etc...
Then I know that i'm being helpful for the other team members.
The picture in my head at that point is more like this:

​

So for all new/junior or unexperienced software testers in the world who are struggeling with that same kind of questions and expierence... if you have doubts about if your discussion/talks with the developers is on a good track or bad one....

Then ask yourself... what is the picture that I get from this interaction?

If it's something positive? (Together finding the cause of a bug and solve the problem....? then you're probably doing something good).

If it's a negative image: only frustration, negative comments, critics... etc.... then ask yourself... how can I turn things around so my input, questions, information, etc to the team can lead to the positive synergy effects again...

Good luck! Happy testing!

By the way, other examples then the volleyball picture are suitable... whatever works for you to determine... this is okay or I should change things... make it something personally adjusted to yourself I'd say.... :)


Ohw… last hint/tip: think outside the box.... turning a negative energy discussion into a positive synergy one can also mean involving/introducing a third person ofcourse… ("whatever it takes to get on the same side of the volleybal net.")​