Better Software - December 2008 - (Page 39)

sure we are communicating.) • So you’re telling me (Listen for confirmation.) The Language of the Story The interview takes place in the language of the interviewee, not in the language of the interviewer. Interviewers are experts. They have a rich vocabulary of domain-specific terms. They have names for almost any object, activity, event, or report that the interviewee might mention. Unfortunately in the testing world, we do not yet have a generally accepted standard glossary of terms. Interviewers should be very tactful. Ask appropriate clarifying questions about what an interviewee means by a term but take care not to correct the usage of an specific term. If the interviewee has special definitions for test cases, test objectives, or test procedures, it is up to the interviewer to make sure the story is understood. Encourage the story telling to be in the language of the organization, project, or team. As the interview progresses, the candidate will be more comfortable as the interviewer uses the interviewees’ terminology in further questions. Using the client’s language helps keep interviewees in their comfort zone. guiding Interviewees sometimes stray to a part of the story that contains a lot of details (some even interesting) but does not advance the narrative. We bring the interviewee back to the main thread of the discussion with a gentle nudge: “We were talking about ” Maintaining a connection Keeping the interviewee engaged is all about making a great connection with the interviewer. The interviewer must be sincerely interested in the interviewee’s story. Statements like the following can help the interviewee feel more comfortable: • The reason I ask is (Make sure interviewee knows why the answer could help.) • That must be exciting/rewarding/ gratifying. (Sincere statements like this can help the interviewee remember how he felt and could lead to a rich story about why he felt that way.) • That must be frustrating. (Empathy is key when the interviewee is clearly strained or emotionally hurt by the experience being related.) • I understand. (Show that an experienced practitioner shares his pain.) • I love your story. (When we love the story we say so, and we say why, too. Some stories can be paradigmatic examples. These make great case studies, training materials, or exemplars and—occasionally, even a magazine article.) • If I gave you a very powerful magic wand, what would you wish for? (Think out of the box and imagine a perfect world. If you could change anything, what would it be?) At the end of each interview, we always thanked the person for sharing his time and his story. We expressed our sincere appreciation for his time and knowledge. We explained that his comments have helped us put some more of the organizational puzzle pieces together. To be, or not to be: that is the question; Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? Lee and I may have been graced with our fair share of inquisitiveness, tact, and patience. But I doubt we have the eloquence of Shakespeare. Asking the right questions can elicit valuable information and focus us on fundamental truths and core values that really make a difference. Asking the questions right makes the interviewee comfortable in sharing his real and relevant experiences. Strategic questioning exposes rich stories whose narratives reveal what is really happening. People and their experiences help us learn how processes can be improved. Quality questioning involves concurrent exploration, learning, and adaptation. In your future work, don’t just focus on the answers, also focus on the questions. {end} Planning ahead Between each interview we took some time to review what we’d heard, document our understanding, and plan for the next interview. We always used the results of previous interviews to develop questions for future interviews. We tried to identify gaps in what we heard and sought to fill in those gaps in subsequent discussions. Our questioning style was an “exploratory” one in which we sought to understand what was being shared, and what we had not yet heard, seeking to add pieces to the puzzle and helping us develop a better mental model of the current situation. closing We used two great questions to help close the interview. In doing so, we discovered a number of important pain points. The questions are: • What question should we have asked you that we didn’t? (This helps the interviewee expose problem areas and concerns outside of the scope of issues discussed so far.) Sticky Notes For more on the following topic go to www.StickyMinds.com/bettersoftware. n Questions Make a Difference! Perhaps the most famous question in literature is from Shakespeare’s Hamlet: www.StickyMinds.com Mind maps DECEMBER 2008 BETTER SOFTWARE 39 http://www.StickyMinds.com/bettersoftware http://www.StickyMinds.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Better Software - December 2008

Better Software - December 2008 Contents Mark Your Calendar Contributors eLightenment Technically Speaking Code Craft Test Connection Management Chronicles What's a Manager to Do? Six Thinking Hats for Testers The Key to Good Interviewing 2008 Salary Survey Product Announcements 10 Things You Might Not Know About … The Last Word Ad Index

Better Software - December 2008

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