Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Global Training
Program
Michael Hackett
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 1 .1 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 2
Overview of the
Welcome
discussion
Today we’ll talk about how best • First, we’ll talk about the
to prepare yourself for training problem and training as the
offshore teams to do their job solution.
AND have less stress leading • Then, some of the important
managing offshore teams. facets of training and
considerations for the solution.
• Describe the necessary topics.
• Tips from the road: Setting
yourself up for success.
• Q&A
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 3 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 4
Where are we now? A not-so Funny story
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 5 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 6
Where are we now? Deeper Problems
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 7 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 8
How can training help? Essential Training Areas
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 9 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 10
Before you buy the plane
By the Way
tickets…
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 11 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 12
Before you buy the plane
Planning a Program
tickets…
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 13 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 14
Communication gives Communication gives
Visibility Visibility
Visibility into: How do you get visibility?
• What is happening, • Status Reports
• What is not getting done, • Daily Reports
• Progress and productivity, • Bug Tracking System
• Test Case Manager
• Problems, issues, roadblocks.
• Project Web Page
• Project Dashboard
…whatever you use!
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 15 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 16
Visibility from Micro-
Micro-communication
communication
Aside from micromanagement
What is microcommunication? being bad practice, it is very
difficult to micromanage 8,000
miles away.
Microcommunication is total,
thorough, complete, open,
detailed communication that What are the options?
enables you to NOT micro- Microcommunication.
manage.
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 17 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 18
Micro-communication Microcommunication
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 19 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 20
Communication Training builds Trust
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 21 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 22
Unique Problems of
Training builds Trust
Offshored Testing
• Building trust is not typically a How do you hire people for your
major reason to train US teams. team at home?
• It is for offshore teams! What skills? What experience?
• Training gives you more confidence
work is getting executed the way
you intended as well as giving the How are people hired for the
offshore testing team more offshore teams?
confidence they are doing what you
want!
• Having trust in each other needs to
open the door for the delivery of
inevitable bad news.
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 23 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 24
Who is your staff Who is your staff
offshore? offshore?
Who are your employees? What The various skill levels of the
experience do they have? home team and the offshore
QA/Testers? Domain experts? team may have you re-consider
Tech Support? what work to send and what
work to keep in the home office.!
Your offshore team will, more than
likely be different.
– May be more technically skilled Example:
than typical US team. – send automation
– Right out of college? – send low-level & API testing
– keep business process
Compare the two teams. Adjust – keep user scenario
your training.
–…
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 25 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 26
Unique Problems of Unique Problems of
Offshored Testing Offshored Testing
Some problems you may face from the
team makeup that are unique to the Outsourced development has one
current offshore hotspots: reputation, outsourced testing
– Developers who do not want to do another. In many countries
QA/Test work testing is considered throw away
– Many hope to graduate to development work- only a vehicle to get the
– Testing is not valued in software
development. real development work. After one
– Technically trained people may not training session I conducted in
necessarily want to test. India, the Engineering Manager
– Developer testers may not want to told me “I never knew testing
criticize their future co-worker was a real job. I put my worst
developers.
staff on testing projects.”
These may be issues some of us face in
the US, but they are rare. They are
much, much more common- depending
on the country- offshore.
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 27 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 28
Unique Problems of
Be a Better Test Lead!
Offshored Testing
What does this mean for your Having an offshore team will
training? increase your workload and
1- You may well be training a increase your management
much more technically oversight.
sophisticated or skilled group But! It will also make you a better
than your US team. test lead!
2- You may have to “teach” the • It forces you to be more organized,
value of testing. • Document more
3- You may have to sell testing as • Communicate better
a job! • Manage change better
• …
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 29 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 30
Your Test and Project Your Test and Project
Process Process
Define the test and development Use tools to facilitate and increase
process to the extent you can visibility and information transfer:
– Set the process, train on the – SharePoint, eRoom, project
process and stick to it! page, blog…
– Provide templates – A must- some kind of document
– Show examples control, VSS, CM tool.
– Make a weekly meeting
schedule and stick to it.
– Use your tools
• Test case manager
• Bug tracker
•…
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 31 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 32
Your Test and Project
Setting Expectation
Process
What Documents should the team Setting expectation combines
expect: communication, trust, and your
• MRDs
• PRDs
Test/Dev process
• Test plans
• Test Cases Expectations for:
• Etc.
– Weekly/daily production goals
– Make a checklist since this is often the
same from project to project. – Each day do xyz
– Train on How projects work, – On Mondays do this…
– What to do each week,
– What happens when you get a new
– By Friday afternoon do this…
build,
– What to do first,
– What to do if, back-up tasks
– Meetings schedule
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 33 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 34
Setting Expectation Setting Expectation
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 35 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 36
Setting Expectation Be a Better Test Lead
– How will they know if they are A few special process topics:
doing a good job? • Change control
– Remember, in some countries, • Metrics
many of your employees may be • Status reporting
right out of school, it could be – Communicating status
– Status reports
their first job or first company
– Must be uniform and defined
setting. Let them know what you
expect.
– Setting expectations will provide
for more trust.
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 37 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 38
Be a Better Test Lead Be a Better Test Lead
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 39 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 40
Be a Better Test Lead Tribal knowledge
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 41 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 42
ISO/Six Sigma/CMM ISO/Six Sigma/CMM
For a variety of cultural, educational
Great opportunity for failure here: and work experience reasons (the
mix depending on what country you
Don’t rely on their text book are talking about), getting your test
process for good work! team thinking out-of-the-box needs
creativity training. This is particularly
Has your Dev process been true when you are dealing with staff
audited to a certain CMM coming from a CMM mindset.
level? If yes, you may need to The type of tester training that
rely on their processes. happens overseas, if any, is usually
not test training but requirements
For the overwhelming majority of validation training following CMM
US companies, all this means procedures. These processes are
is paperwork and no higher not very common in the US yet are
quality! overseas. It is very often shocking
for offshore teams to hear many US
development teams, frankly, could
care less!
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 43 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 44
Summary: Planning the Training the Offshore
Trainings Team
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 45 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 46
Training the Offshore
Most Important
Team
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 47 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 48
Most Important Most Important
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 49 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 50
Most Important Most Important
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 51 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 52
How to Test How to Test
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 53 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 54
Train to test not to Developer Testing and
validate Tester Testing
Validation- the easy work. Who are your testers?
– Good Developers don’t always
make good Testers
Testing- significantly harder.
– Good Testers don’t always make
Training to sniff out bugs, to good Developers
hunt for bugs is a skill-building
activity that needs planning,
materials, hands-on exercises,
teamwork, and monitoring.
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 55 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 56
How to Test How to Test
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 57 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 58
How to Test What is a Bug?
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 59 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 60
What is a Bug? Setting Expectation
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 61 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 62
The Soft Skills English
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 63 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 64
English English
Not much to say here- the Hint- you may want to make sure you
offshore team either has have some people on the team who
enough English skill to make were hired because, in addition to
other skills, they are excellent
the project a success or the English speakers. This is needed
offshore team has enough for writing bug reports, status
English skill to give you reports and ease of phone
constant headache. If it is the communication. They may also act
latter- you better set up an as lead or moderator of phone
English Training program! meetings.
Hint: Taught by American or Many companies try to hire nationals
who have lived in the US or another
Canadian- not Brit or Aussie! English-speaking country.
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 65 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 66
The Possibilities are
Cross-Cultural
Endless!
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 69 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 70
Example Training:
Cross-Cultural Glossary
“No Secrets”
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 71 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 72
Example: Training on “No Example: Training on “No
Secrets” Secrets”
So…
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 73 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 74
A word about Training
Did it work?
and Managing
No, not at first. Training on a defined process will
work…for some people.
What do you do when the process is
BUT! The test lead then managed not followed?
against it. Gave feedback,
Some people will not follow
immediately, showed what guidelines for any number of
should have happened instead. reasons.
In the end- it worked using My suggestion:
unconventional, targeted 1- do not retrain the group.
training. 2- manage/retrain only those who are
not following the process.
3- hope the team gossips (everyone
does).
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 75 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 76
Training Your Domestic Training Your Domestic
Staff Staff
Training you home team should include:
The domestic team also needs – processes for working with offshore
training on soft skills and teams
process if the project is to be – the importance of sticking to internal
successful. A key training topic team processes
is better communication, – improving documentation
including: – build processes, including acceptance
testing and transfer
– how to conduct virtual meetings
– what to do when the offshore team hits
– status reporting blocking issues and the domestic team
– importance of kickoff meetings is unavailable
– using IM for trivial – what the offshore team can do during
communication. downtime
– how to improve communication
– provide for Tribal Knowledge transfer.
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 77 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 78
Training Your Domestic Training Your Domestic
Staff Staff
Your home team must be aware of how Use of “He” and “She”/ “Him” and
their behavior will be interpreted by the “Her” as well as “it”, “that”, “them”
offshore team.
…
Americans in team meetings often make
jokes, political comments, and openly Train both teams to use nouns- not
criticize superiors or management. pronouns.
Depending on the country, this can be Jane will finish the test plan and send
looked upon as disrespectful and never
it out.
done. I have seen offshore test teams
lose respect for the US team based on She needs comments on it back by
conversations we may find trivial. Friday.
We need to be more aware of our own Instead say:
habits that may create project friction and
give training on preventing it where Jane needs comments back on the
possible. test plan by Friday.
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 79 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 80
Cross-Cultural Example: Cross-Cultural Example:
Top 5 Issues Top 5 Issues
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 81 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 82
Cross-Cultural Example: Cross-Cultural Example:
Top 5 Issues Top 5 Issues
Offshore team in Country X Top 5 issues: US-based test team Top 5 issues
• The US team is always in a rush and • They drop whatever they are doing at
telling us to go faster but we cannot make noon and go for lunch. Whether in the
mistakes. middle of a meeting or a time sensitive
process- it is lunchtime.
• They forget to tell us things that happen • They don’t work as fast as we do.
and we get frustrated we do things wrong
• They are so many questions I cannot get
and want us to work late to fix their my own work done anymore and am
forgetting. emailing them late into my evening.
• We are so constrained by the test cases • They don’t always tell the truth about
they sent us to do we feel bored. what is going on. They tell us what we
• They are always adding things to the want to hear.
project even at the end. It is a problem • Women managing men can be difficult in
they are so unorganized. their culture. We have a few women test
leads.
• We ask questions and often hear nothing
at all back from them.
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 83 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 84
Cross-Cultural Example:
Top 5 Issues What we just learned…
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 85 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 86
Set yourself up for Success Types of Learning
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 87 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 88
Types of learning: Training Material
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 89 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 90
Training Material Training Material
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 91 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 92
Training Material Soap Opera Testing
Remove from material and your The Young and the Restless
delivery:
• “Low man on the totem pole”
• “Toe the line”
• “Hit a homerun”
• “dead in the water”
• “wishful thinking” All My Children
• “like a bat out of hell.”
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 95 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 96
Training Material Training Material
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 97 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 98
Exams Exams
Crucial! Note:
• Important addition to typical US
team trainings- give exams on • Writing exams is difficult.
material given (presented trainings, • Making them appropriate for
documents, tools). your material and as a gauge
• Teams pay more attention when of comprehension is important.
they know they will get tested.
• Exams push people to ask more • Test on tough topics.
questions • What is a passing grade?
• You will find out if you are Failing? What to do if fail?
understood!
• Also, who is a good tester or good • Make exams easy to grade.
at English You don’t want to spend your
• Most important: Who needs extra nites somewhere grading
help. exams.
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 99 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 100
What you should expect Warning
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 101 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 102
IP Loss Staff
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 103 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 104
Staff Retention Staff Turnover
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 105 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 106
Train-the-Trainer Train-the-Trainer
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 107 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 108
Re-cap Offshore Team Training
Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 109 Copyright (c) 2009 LogiGear Corporation All Rights Reserved. 110
LogiGear Corporation
Michael Hackett
michaelh@logigear.com
www.logigear.com