Creating Dissonance Overcoming Organizational Bias towards the Value of Software Testing

Abstract: Overcoming organizational bias toward software testing can be a key factor in the success of your testing effort. Negative bias toward testing can impact its perceived value—just as inaccurate positive bias can set your team up for failure through mismanaged expectations. A structured approach to identifying, understanding, and overcoming bias is an integral part of any successful enterprise testing strategy. Keith Klain describes the origins of organizational bias and what it means for your testing effort, including what the test team and the industry do—and don’t do—to support those perceptions. He explores what you can do to identify your particular organization’s bias toward testing, how it evolved, evidence of those attitudes, and what you can do to change perceptions. Through case studies, Keith shares his successes and failures in navigating and running change programs focused on software testing and discusses the obstacles he’s encountered—and overcome.

Audience takeaway:

• A structured approach to identifying, understanding, and overcoming bias is an integral part of any successful enterprise testing strategy.
• What you can do to identify your particular organization’s bias toward testing, how it evolved, evidence of those attitudes, and what you can do to change perceptions.
• Keith shares his successes and failures in navigating and running change programs focused on software testing and discusses the obstacles he’s encountered—and overcome.