What makes a good test manager great?

I was in restaurant waiting for the food to arrive and heard the next table customer asking waiter, ‘what is the best dish you serve here?’. Tricky question. Should the waiter name some dish names? Does that mean other dishes are not best? There begins a two way communication to narrow down the interests and match the offerings. There is no sales here, but it is process consulting where you know the process of consulting to help customer come out of the current situation with their own answer.

In another situation where you have been asked to advise a Chef on what he is good at and suggest improvement areas. This is another type called expert consulting where in you need to be an expert in the field of advise.

Well, it all about consulting, the skill that makes a good test manager great. A lot that a Test Manager can do by blending the process and expert consulting skills, above and beyond just running a team that writes test cases - executes - find defects - publish reports. Let us look at some of the means by which a Test Manager can emit consulting skills in a project, which will earn him a pivotal role in the project management team.

Marketing your service to Project Manager

Corporates keep a check on IT spend and IT keeps a check on Testing spend however everyone understands the fact that the spend on quality is indispensable. Test Manager should carefully lay out the offerings in line with project quality risks. What you intended to say (or do) is irrelevant, what is heard (and why) matters. Bringing everything you can do to the table ask the Project to pick and decide, doesn't sounds right though.

Listen to Project Manager’s challenges and become a trusted partner

Problem solving is the crux of consulting and listening is the key act. As a Test Manager, sit with the PM and understand his constraints - could be cost, timelines or a worry due to unknowns. Understanding the challenges brings you closer in thoughts and leads to trust.

Provide Quality Intelligence

Spotting poor quality and reporting may convey test team’s purpose but the poor quality only worries a project. Constant direct communication (beyond status reports) on your views of how the product quality is, will help PM appreciate the value the testing team brings out.

Building relationships and start influencing

A consultant has no role if there isn't an appetite for seeking advice. Find out who the real sponsor is, who understands quality better. Start maintaining a communication link. Establish the presence in project meetings and advocate what the project needs instead of what it wants.

Coach the Developers and push early quality

As an expert consultant, spend time with developers and challenge them in a collaborative way on their views and methods of applying quality. Enrich their understanding on assurance and build a sense of accountability on test journey.

Have benchmarks handy and become predictive

Study the industry and similar project performance and arrive at reference benchmarks to help predict the quality. More the data points you have, it will be easier to push the case.

Be a good articulator

Sometimes, you have to convey the bad news on quality. As a consultant you should say what you have to say and get away with it. May be a blunt statement you will make, but consultants will do say at times.