Leanne Howard

If you aren’t measuring the coverage your regression tests provide, you may be spending too much time for little benefit. Consider the value of your regression tests as you create and manage them. You need to be smart about the regression tests you maintain in order to gain the maximum value from the work put into creating, running, and analyzing their results.

Agile is still on the rise, with many organizations that have been successful at the team level looking to scale their adoption. Consequently, it's important for testers to have practical application of agile techniques. You should know how to create tests to optimize maximum test coverage, have interpersonal skills, and successfully build relationships within the team.

Managers who want high-performing agile teams may think this involves finding people who all possess every required skill. But in addition to that being unlikely, it would also be a bad idea; it's the mix of perspectives that really gives benefit and value to the business. Instead, find experts in individual skills who can collaborate well together.

The traditional ways of finding employees are changing. If you want to get a role that will make you happy to contribute to the team, you need to rethink the way you apply for roles. If you are the resource manager, change how you recruit. This article focuses on the qualities you should be exemplifying or looking for if you want to form a team with an agile mindset.

There has been lots of talk about the agile mindset, but what does that mean? It does not merely encompass the skills that make a successful agile team member, but also what drives a person to want to be part of an agile team. It should include the quest to learn—even when you fail—and leveraging what you learn to continuously improve on what you do.

This is a common misconception of those inexperienced with agile, who choose this methodology on the basis of thinking that their project can be delivered more quickly and easily by avoiding documentation. But agile is not an excuse for skipping documentation. While some information will always need to be captured in written words, there are techniques that can be used to reduce documentation but will still give the customers what they want.

In this article, Leanne Howard shares her top five tips for teams that are starting agile. Cultivate a culture and environment where people are comfortable. Offer support when team members need it, but allow them to self-organize to perform their tasks and believe they will do it well.