Applying Emotional Intelligence to Testing

So, what is emotional intelligence (EI)(also referred to as emotional quotient (EQ))?

Emotional intelligence refers to the understanding of our own emotions, how to use this
knowledge to deal effectively with people and problems to reduce anger and hostility,
and create an atmosphere of collaboration to produce positive energy.

The concept of EI owes its immense popularity to New York Times science journalist,
Harvard psychologist, and author Daniel Goleman who wrote the 1995 best-seller,
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.
How is software testing an emotional activity?
Before we answer this, let us try to analyze the basic behaviour of testers.
According to an older definition of Testing- To tell somebody that he or she is wrong is
called criticism. To do so officially is called testing.

http://gallop.net/

Testers essentially are people who like to disrupt and break things so as to find out the
true quality of a product. They have the inherent need to question things, are persistent
in their questioning, and at the same time are also pessimists by nature. Their basic
mind set is that unless they criticize, the quality of the product will not be improved.

The biggest joy of their life is when they break a product or when they find a Bug.

Now, you may wonder what sort of a connection EI can have with the world of testing.
The answer a huge connection. To understand the link, let us try to understand EI a bit
more.

People who have a high level of EI are self-aware (know what they feel and why), selfmanaged (know how best to manage negative emotions, create positivity), socially
aware (know the nuances of how to interact with others), and good at relationship
management. Such a person also knows how to deal with anger, control negative
thoughts, process constructive criticism, and deal with conflict.

All of the above qualities may actually be listed as pre-requisites for someone who
wishes to join the band-wagon of testing community at any level. It is but natural in our
professional lives as testers to face and undergo a wide range of similar emotions. Elacts
as a tool that guides us how to identify and respond to these (- especially the negative)
emotions in the best possible manner that is not counter-productive.

Testing professionals, apart from the inferences from the plethora of tools available
today, also trust their intuition a lot. The test results so achieved may lead to any of the
regular emotions that we face, such as amusement, anger, frustration, etc.

Professionals in the Testing arena also have to regularly face very highly strung scenarios
as they work in very uncertain environments wherein tests may pass or fail. A lot of
times, it is upon the shoulders of testers to inform about build failures, and also to
inform if the code is not written per the best standards. On the other hand, when an

http://gallop.net/

already overloaded testing team is told that its time or resource size is being halved it
leads to further frustration and creates an atmosphere of animosity.

Naturally, these activities at times lead to fracturing of egos and unnecessary debates
and endless hours of unproductive meetings. These heated reactions, per EI
terminology, are a result of letting the amygdala hijack take control.

Amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure at the top of the brainstem that is

associated with the human tendency of fight or flight. It usually is what makes us burst
out emotionally much before we have really thought through. Controlling the amygdala
hijack is a major aspect of EI.

A good EI level helps us control the immediate reactions and makes us more empathetic
towards our colleagues, and helps us try to understand why they may be reacting in a
particular fashion. This genuinely helps create an amicable and friendly atmosphere in
any organization more so where DevOps culture is the need of the hour.

A mature EI level will always help us provide criticism in a manner that is more
conducive for mutual growth rather than just for pointing fingers. For example, a person
having such EI levels will always try to give inputs when alone, or in a mail where no one
else is Ccd. Handled so, it will surely bring down the number of conflicts.

If you are a professional tester low on EI levels, dont fret as theres good news. EI levels
can be substantially improved at any stage of life unlike IQ. Work on controlling the
amygdala hijacks and see your ranks rise in the world of Testing.

Reference: Emotional Intelligence in Software Testing

http://gallop.net/

Tags: EI/EQ Software Testing, Emotional Intelligence & Testing, Emotional Intelligence in Software
Testing, Quality Assurance Testing, Software Testing, software testing company, Software Testing
services, web application testing

http://gallop.net/