I did not know about the word 'empathy' in English. I heard it for first time 15 years back. This does not mean, I did not have or express or share the empathy.
We engineers talk about empathy to the users when building the software. That is, think like a user. If you are a test engineer, testing, then you should have heard this. And, you should have asked yourself -- "How will the user feel with this?". Did you?
When you write a bug report or any test report, you think and ask yourself, "Can this be easily understood by the reader?". Won't you?
You are having the thought and an emotion of empathy in that thought and question!
How's the Empathy of Engineers for Engineers?
Anytime, you asked these questions to you? What do your voice say?
- Do I truly listen to my colleague and peers?
- Do I document?
- How well and lean I document so that fellow engineers can use it?
- Can they use it in my absence? Does it serve?
- For example,
- How well I name the variables, so that, someone who is reading my code can make sense out of it? This is empathy to your colleagues.
- How well I write the test engineering related testware, so that, it serves my fellow test engineers and others? This is empathy to your fellow testers.
- Before thinking like a user, think -- How my fellow testers feel for using your work and communication?
- Do I consider how my words and behavior affect the people I work and collaborate with?
- Do I listen and respect my colleagues and peers view while I discuss and share my perspective when it differs?
- Am I ready to accept the same treatment and communication that I share with others?
- Do I share and communicate my perspective and intent for first?
- How do I interpret other person's understanding and thought about a subject, work and practice?
If you are a programmer,
Ask yourself when and how you respected your fellow programmer and testers thoughts and work?
If you are a tester,
Ask yourself when and how you respected and listened to your fellow testers word and work?
If you are a manager or director or VP or CxO role person for engineers,
Ask yourself, when was the last time you listened and tried to understand the words and thoughts of your programmers, testers and other roles? How did you listen and communicate?
- How did you help your teams and a team member to understand your point?
- Did you consider one of your team members as your team?
- Did you say anytime, she/he knows better than you, to any of your team member?
- Did this end or impact the communication thereon between you two?
- Further, ask yourself and list out the incidents that you could have avoided a situation and communicated well with dignity?
It is easy to say the slogan, "Think like a user".
It is much easier to say this to your testing team.
But, it is not easy to think from the point of your colleague or peer.
Why?
What stops you?
Empathy Starts Within - A Message to Engineering Leaders
As leaders, we often say,
"Think like the user."
It is a powerful principle.
But, here is the question.
"Do you think like your engineers?"
You hired your engineers by conversing with them. What are your efforts to make your engineers understand your thinking? What's your principle on this?
If you cannot think and respond to the point views of your colleague or peer or team, how can you think and build the software system for a user? Yet, say from decades, "Think like a user"!
Let me ask this. Anytime, you tried to impose or overrule the testing team's thoughts, pain, voice and perspectives? Or, did you talk to them to understand it and then shared why it should be the way you are deciding?
Did you think as your test engineers and test team? And, you want them to think like a user? How?
I'm not saying to agree and acknowledge to whatever the test team say and ask. But, are you aware that, you work with test teams? They are one among who consumes your decisions and work to deliver as a team. What's your empathy to them? Also reflect on what's your empathy to other teams?
If you cannot communicate well and help them understand your points and need of the business, then, how effectively as a team can we deliver value to the users who buys the service of the business?
When no empathy to fellow engineers on the team by an engineer, and, by the one who is heading the engineering teams, how can one have and express the empathy for the users who buys the service of the business?
Do you have the empathy for the engineers in your team?
Do you have the empathy for the teams you lead?
What is empathy? What is your empathy?
I understand, in the business and with an executive role in business, empathy has scale. What's your empathy scale for your engineers?
To end here for now, before the users, let your engineers and teams experience your empathy.
