Empathy - Missing in Engineers. Then, Why Think Like a User?

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?

1. Do I truly listen to my colleague and peers?
2. 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?
3. Do I consider how my words and behavior affect the people I work and collaborate with?
4. 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?
5. 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.

 

My Work, My Fit, and Company's Goals

 

I, My Role and Expectations

At least once a day, it is useful to think about oneself.  I started doing this late in my life and career. I started doing it in recent years.  If I do not think about myself, I will be lost very soon.  This is not selfishness; it is self-care, which is what I'm learning.

It is essential for me to think about myself, because:

• It helps me to see what I'm
• It helps me to see where I moved today
• Does this move help me personally?
• Does this move help me professionally?
• What benefits does it bring me?
• What benefits does it bring to those with whom I associate and work together?
• Does it keep me in sound mental and physical health?
• Did I learn today?
• Something new?
• Anything I refined and unlearned?
• Does it bring any costs and cons to me?
• Am I fit?
• Fit to where?
• Fit to what?
• Fit? How?
• Fit? Why?
• Fit? When

In all the roles I take in my personal and professional life, I'm evaluated at some point in time.  I will be judged for:

• Did I fit?
• Did I do my role
• Did I meet the expectation?

The problem is not that I'm evaluated.

The problem is I'm evaluated without saying what makes me fit to be in the association and how I will have to meet the expectation.  Some associations can remove us while some cannot.

When I say this, I want to say this -- the word family is often misunderstood; not all associations can be a family although the word family is used often in associations.  This is reality and not a fact!

Does family eliminate me if I do not fit in?  I don't know!  At least the hope is, family is where I can be myself; without the thought of me being judged and evaluated for what I take and bring to the family.  My family as well have expectations from me in the different roles I live in with them.

When I can see this in my family, why don't I see this in the place where I work together with other people?

Do I fit in here for what I make out of this place (company) and take it to my family, home, and my life?

I wish my home and school had helped me learn this question early in my life!  I expect it now because I realize the "value of fit", now, that is, after I graduated and started to work with people in the organizations.

I consistently learn that every one of us is replaceable in any association, be it family or a workplace.  And, it moves on; it does not stop.  If not replaceable, it is manageable to continue and move on.

When we are in the association, how fit we are so that it is hard to replace?  Maybe that's a price (value) tag and a necessity of one!

The Response, That I Should Evaluate

As a responsible colleague and team member, I promote the discussion of this question at least once a month.  I ask this question to whom I report at work.

I will have this question in every one-on-one catch-up that I will have with my reporting manager.  And, I expect a response to this question and want it recorded for future reference.

What is that question?

How does my work fit in with the company's goals?

Evaluating the response:

• How do I evaluate the response to this question?
• What should I do on the evaluation of the response?
• Why should I evaluate the response?
• What should be my next course of action?
• After all, what is my response to this question and how do I evaluate it?

To get promoted to the next roles,

• I need to be solving the problem of my higher (or next) role
• I need to have the capability (skills) to solve problems of my higher role

But this is not a question of promotion.  It is the question of being fit for the company's goals.

While I get promoted or to be promoted, my work may still not fit with the company's goals.  Identifying this early helps.

I have learned, sometimes the promotion does not necessarily come with the fit for the company's goals.  But then eventually the fit will be evaluated at one stage by someone in the company together with a promotion given.

This has led me to ask this question consistently and then evaluate the response with the business, political and rational mindsets.

I say the same to my team, that is, ask this question for yourself and to the reporting manager.  Evaluate the response that comes to you.

Should you ask this question to your reporting manager in each month's one-on-one catch-up?

The Fit Equation Changes

In the team and company, we believe:

• We are contributing
• We are a value-adding fit type
  

We keep saying to ourselves how we make a great fit and difference.  Isn't it?

This "fit equation" keeps changing every day or quarter or year or appraisal cycle.  I learn, this "fit equation" keeps changing rather than evolving.

Adapting to this consistent change and delivering is evolving.  This is my understanding for today.

Biases, Communication, and Problem Solving

We all are in biased mindsets and perceptions at any point in time.  The people in the company need help to break these mindsets so that one's fit equation is questioned and assessed regularly.  In my opinion, this is a great assistance that a manager and a leader can give to her/his people.

I expect the managers and leaders to ask the company:

• What the company wants from the people?

We people in the company and in the team, let us ask the manager and leaders:

• What the company expects from me?
• What is my fit equation?
• Does the current work that I'm delivering fits the company's goals?

I have heard most times from people saying, "I was said that I did not fit with the company's goal".

How will one know what is the company's goals and how can one align with them unless it is communicated and recorded professionally?  I see, to start it needs communication, clarity, and affirmation first from both ends.

Does this solve the problem?  No!  It gives an onset to understand the problem and the differences to fix.  With this, the manager and leader can help the team, and vice versa, in solving the problem.  Thereby contributing to the company's goals by aligning with them.

If you are a manager or a leader, make sure you have this as an essential practice in monthly catch-up to assess this fit equation and let know your people.  I love seeing this initiative from managers and leaders.

This is one of the leader's fitness to be in the role to assist people and the company.  By doing so, we will help the company, business, employees, investors, and customers.

To reset this post's intent equation:

• How the work expected from me fit in with the company's goals?
• How does the work I'm doing fit in with the company's goals?

The Not Well Thought Talk

 

That Day

It was in 2016 April at the MITC - Moolya Internal Testing Conference.  I was a Moolya employee then and it was a conference for Moolyans by Moolyans.  I went up to the stage and shared few thoughts of me, then.  Today, when I look at what I spoke, it looks to me as not a talk that I should be doing.

The Talk

I see, my thoughts were not mindful when I spoke that day, and I was blinded.  Yeah, blinded.  This is one of the talks which I keep as an example; so that I do not share my thoughts and talk like this.  Today when I look at me of that day, I look wrong and not sound.  I question myself, "Is that me? Ah! How bad!"

Not Thoughtful, Why?

I see it is not thoughtful for these reasons:

1. It did not reflect the awareness I have on the subject and practice
2. I sent an incorrect message with my short talk for young people who were at the conference
• I should have shared how to look at it than saying what has to be done ignoring the other
• Ignoring the one and doing other is not a beneficial approach in any means
3. I'm a person and with the role who will  influence people in the direction, the work, approach, and delivery
• How can I do this as a leader?
• But a leader will also fail and a leader encounters failures often and frequently
• Leaders deal with the failures than with success often and continue what they have to do
• I failed in my thoughts and talk, that day!

None spoke or shared anything about it.  I'm not sure why.  I myself see it is not right.  Could be they would have received in the intent what I wanted to share.  But, what did I say and how, that's not right.  Ravisuriya, himself cannot take it today and acknowledges it.

What I do today!

I take my time and think before I see an opportunity or when asked to respond.  It is not that I did not think earlier prior to responding.  That day, I did not see how it will be received and interpreted.  

Today for first, I will test if I can receive and acknowledge what I'm communicating.  If this fails, I will pause and think of a better way to share and communicate.  Before sharing, I try to make sure that I have not tampered with the intent of my words and thoughts.  Can this be done each time?  I'm making a practice that I articulate and persuade better and with the right intent.

This is one of the very essential learning I have made from MITC 2016.  Thanks, Moolya and Moolyans for giving me this reflecting and retrospective learning.

Communication, has explicit and implicit messages! Have you got them?

Besides all the technical work the testing team and a tester do, there are times the tester and her/his testing will take a hit.  Here is one such hit and how I solved it.  When working in an organization which is building a product, usually there will be multiple teams involved.  Likewise, multiple people on influencing and making the decision about the product, development and shipment.  Any one miscommunication here and the slipping of time, the testing team gets its time squeezed and cut, most times isn't it?  I have experienced it.

When I looked into what was the problem here and to solve it, I learnt these:

1. When decision makers communicate, they can have two types of communication being conveyed for teams. 
2. One is explicit communication - which is verbal and written.
3. The other is implicit communication - which is neither verbal nor written; but it is expected that it has to be understood by teams.

If the testing team don't catch the implicit communication, what could be the impact in the time given to testing?  It depends on magnitude of the problem!  Most times, the explicit communication made in a context as well goes misinterpreted by the teams.  If you are not part of that teams which misinterpreted and did it right each time, probably you had a better and standing leader in your team who solved the communication problem.

A simple heuristic here for the testing team and others who involved in this context -- How one can misinterpret what I said? Did I misinterpret in what is said?  One can be not that sharp in communication and interpretation, say.  But that number of team members with varied experiences level, are same in that skill?  Could be yes, then we have to help team; if not, then where is the problem?  Here the question is about solving and proceeding further so team can be of help to each others.

I lead the projects and testing delivery while I was working in Moolya Software Testing Pvt. Ltd. Having lead 55+ projects for different customers and its deliveries, in this role, I had to communicate with external teams (programmers and testers), internal teams (i.e. team within Moolya), sales team, recruit team, human resource for skill development programmes and management team (at customer place and in Moolya).  Especially working in the Startup projects will give the lessons very well, at least I have seen it for me.  Note here, if I had one misinterpretation with customer's communication and passing it to my teams in Moolya and to management, how impact that would be? Is it a big cost?  I did misinterpret in initial stages; but then when I observed it, I made sure, I will have to minimize it and keep it to zero if possible.  I worked on it and assisted the teams I was leading to practice it.  For example, say a feature and release date said by customer explicitly and I misinterpreted it. Further customer too assumed I got the message.  Were there any implicit messages here, which customer assumed that I have got it?  So do I assumed that I got it?  Once I found that I was struck with problem here in a project, I fixed it in me for first.  Note, my Moolya is always close to the tester in me!

Here is how I worked on it and continue to work on it. Despite this practice, at times I do still fail and I know I'm human and so are others.  All I check is what is the cost and value of what I did here!

Whenever I'm certain that I fully and completely understand the other person and teams without the benefit of clarifying questions, I ask myself this question -- If I weren’t absolutely, positively certain that I fully and completely understand, what would I ask?  This question helps as a trigger heuristic to know more about my understanding.  But will I do this each time?  No, I pick it in contexts which hints me something is missing. For example, when there is confusion arising in me or in teams; in the time of where major decision leads are being considered in decision being made.  If none of the team have confusion or questions, I still revisit on this and ask teams for saying what is been understood.  How I ask team members is another way of doing it. I will not get into that details, you see that's another challenge and problem to solve. Let me keep one problem here and focus on its solving.  If you said, who will do this when there is no time to do task which I have been assigned, fair enough.  In my role, I will have to do that until I get confidence -- this team or these team members can handle themselves in the situation by questioning and asking for clarification.  My role is not just to lead and deliver the projects.  I'm responsible and accountable for my team members skill development too - which is implicit expectation of an organization though it is not communicated in offer letter or in promotion letter or in promoted role.  If you don't agree or you say I should not be doing this, fine!  One day, when it comes and hits to you or to your team and organization, probably that is the whiteboard day.

I keep in mind that it’s in situations of absolute certainty in which I'm sure I understand and I say it to myself -- I'm most likely to misinterpret. I make it my responsibility to clarify my own terminology to ensure that the other person or team members understands me. As I provide clarification, I ask these questions to myself:

1. What assumptions might I be making about their meaning?
2. What assumptions might they be making about my meaning?
3. How confident am I that I’ve exposed the most damaging misinterpretations?

I see sometimes, people getting annoyed!  But my testing career experience have shown me, the decisions most times goes not conveyed well enough explicitly.  Later it is said, isn't that mean same or no change or there is a change, i.e. it is implicit.  Later, when taken implicitly and proceeded, I was asked why did I do that.  Now should I say -- that isn't implicit as last time?  Then answer is NO.  I decided that I should be avoiding this mistakes and I started to practice -- interpreting and getting clarified it, though few feels annoyed.  I see value here and cost of being catastrophic happening is high if went on assumptions for the implicit meanings that is not literally communicated.

The best solution for me is simply to try to heighten my awareness of the potential for misinterpretation.  I probably can’t catch all communication problems.  But if I do the best I can, and don’t allow myself to feel too rushed or too intimidated to ask for clarification, I should find that I'm in sync with the other person(s) or team(s). If I'm not, it’s better to find out early on, rather later when the consequences could be catastrophic.

I make sure, I ask questions and get it clarified.  I do insist on communicating verbally and in written about the explicit and implicit part of communication and clarification.  I hope this will be helpful to testers and others who work in a team and with teams to deliver the shipment on time.

To end this post, see this is not part of any technology stack, automation, testing, and roles.  It is about how we solve the problem that blocks the core problems which we are solving.  If you happened to see a value in it, do talk a word about it with your team member.  A change in team member or in you, can help your organization, your team, your product, your customer, your promotion and your salary.  

When My Team Member was Fired, I Could Not Accept My Salary Hike

In one of my job, I was assisting people who had started their career in Software Testing and few others who were into Software Testing for a while.  Before going further, let me say what I have experienced being with people. 

Through my childhood, I have come across people who are from different backgrounds, economy status, habitat, culture, abilities, and personal personalities.  I see all are special and good in what and how they are.  Where they came from have the influence in how they interact, respond and get going.  Anything can get better if there is a will in the journey is what I'm witnessing.  With this learning of me, I could easily learn how I should interact with a person, on listening to her/him for some time. I just tune up or tune down to the frequency of them, and get it going smoothly.  Once we have a better understanding of common objectives, the credible rapport for each others and mutual understanding on communication we have built, we will take it forward. This works! It is working for me.

I have worked with people and nation whose language is not the English and have difficulty in communication (spoken, written and understanding) using the English. The lack of English communication has not stopped from doing the brilliant job. I can say it standing anywhere and to anyone, anytime!

I, myself have difficulty with the English. I'm said -- you are bad in English; I was made fun for my English; I was taken to extent by saying -- I will tell how you are and who you are to whole world for what I wrote and what I did in my practice.  I'm okay with that!  I continued observing and I saw where can I get better in which I have control.  I use the English words and grammar, which I'm aware of and I continue to learn.  I have a pride in it as I see my efforts are consistent and I see result.  If you are understanding what I'm writing here and what I want to express, isn't that appreciable?

Few might say, what would the English speaking people say on hearing, reading and listening to this English.  Fair! But, that should not make me or anyone to be small and worthless, and it will not make.  I say, who have that thought, are just too narrow in seeing the perspectives and differences of social culture, yes of course in appreciating it as well.

Coming back to the current blog post title line, one of my fellow team member was asked to leave job because that person's English was not good.  I was said, enough chances were given for that person and no improvement in English and communication, so the decision.  I sometime, got the thought is this a English learning school?  I felt, that person's English was okay to communicate but the actual problem was, that person is not opening up to speak with particular person and few others. That person did talk with me and to other teams, openly.  If one have cleared a Under Graduate Degree of an University by writing the exams in the English, it tells, there is something else, the problem is not the English speaking or writing.  There is a barrier for that person which has to be broken, and it has to be broken from both ends. It can take time, and it will happen one fine day.

We talk of traps and we will fall into traps because we are managers and not the leaders most times in our roles, thoughts, stands and work.  The leaders too fall in trap, but a leader will be a problem solver and can see the trap and act upon it.  For a manager who wants to do the things right, it can be a tough one to handle. To a leader who wants to have the right things, can remove the blockers and solve though it is tough one.

I don't stick on to say whether it was right or wrong for asking that person to leave the job saying the English or not speaking up.  At the end, it is one of kind of personality among several other personalities of human beings.  Also I feel, that slowness in opening up to speak and get going is not okay in the business world.  The push had to come from both ends, but it did not.  The management went ahead without seeking what a leader of that team thinks about this problem.  Not sure if the manager knew what was the problem here with that person.  Or may be the manager was not considered at all by the upper management in that decision.

Soon, one day, I was called to collect my hike letter.  I was not blank here.  I said, I don't deserve this hike. I was asked why so.  I said, "One of my team member was asked to leave job. I was mentoring and assisting that person. It was said no improvement in that person while I could see the good progress.  If management does not see the progress in that person, then I have a relation to it.  I have not progressed in one my roles and responsibilities better.  I have not done my job well with that person who lost the job. I have lost a team member who could have been an asset to organization."   I thanked the management in the room and I asked if I can leave and walked back to my desk.  I don't know what impression it gave to people in the management on me.  I was clear in my decision.  I believe, I'm a leader and I stand for it when I lead me or my team. I will be a voice for them and for the job we do in solving the testing problems.

Though my financial condition was not good, I strongly moved with that decision. I feel happy about how I have responded to it and took the accountability not just responsibility being a leader.  Few months later, being out of job that person continued the software testing practice; won the 1st place in a testing competition that is open to the testers across globe and have testers participating from several countries. Please don't take it as, that person won 1st place because I was assisting in practice; no; I don't claim it that way in any means. That person practices and has skills, so the win.  That person is not into the Software Testing career, today. 

I led that person by assisting the practice of a fresher.  A fresher losing the job for no progress in my leadership, is my failure. I have a leader in me who resonates in pride for that decision of not accepting the hike, with humble respect to the management.  I was not just responsible being a leader, I was accountable for them in that role, that day.

Closing Notes:

• People are not same; different people have different personalities.
• All problems are not same; different problems have different complexities, patterns, and personalities.
• For an organization, it is very important to have management and leadership go in parallel knowing what has to be accomplished.
• The Management and Leadership are assumed and seen to be the one and same; no they are not.
• Manager act and moves in ownership of "I'm responsible". Leader steers and drives in the ownership of "I'm responsible and accountable".  It is easy to look as being accountable and not just responsible for all of us in what we do and deliver either as individually or as a team. No the reality is, it is apparent, when the deck opens up for accountability; that is when we see categories forming for the  'responsible' and 'accountable' in the team and organization.  If felt, accountable, you will have the voice and it can be heard on the floor.  Where as when just responsible, still you will have voice and it is heard on the floor, but not as the voice that stands out on the floor in crowd.
• Management team can have a good leader while being a manager. Likewise a leadership can have a good manager while being a leader.
• Management and Leadership are two sides of an eye. Which side of an eye is visible to your people and to you, will tell about the influences on your people from you.
• Most managers, to-become managers, just-promoted-as-manager and the management in an organization -- all of them learns the management from the environment where they come from and from their managers who managed them. Now you know what example you are setting by leading.
• A leader can go unnoticed most times because a leader creates a system which is not dependent on her or him at any time.
• Stand for your team and people, assist in the possible ways.
• Don't be a shield of defense being a leader to team; let team face the music. Drop in and assist when and where it is needed, and let the team swing to music while you lead them.
• As a leader, help your team to be relevant, to be aware, and to be open.
• As a leader, communicate upon knowing what's the frequency on the other side; get down and pull up the frequency than shutting down the channel.
• In software industry, the engineers take up the management role these days. The engineers who got promoted to management, might not have the idea of management and leadership. It takes practice and skills of the management and leadership to be a manager and a leader. Think back, how much it has taken for an engineer to be a skilled engineer over the time in gaining those engineering skills.  None were that effective in the engineering skills right immediately passing out of the engineering college or the university.
• The management can fail to see the progress; change/progress happening in the practice and changes on the floors.  The leadership team has to enable and assist the management teams in learning to communicate, assess, and respond. 
• Leaders, you need both managers and leaders to move in any directions. Managers are good at certain things and so the leaders.  Both are needed for an organization.  Don't just have environment that creates the managers with no leader in them. Have the environment that incubates, fosters and supports the growing of upcoming Leaders.