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Talk Smart, Test Better - Maroš Kutschy


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From Blame to Clarity: Enhancing Team Conversations

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"So yes, there is a lot of communication for testers." - Maroš Kutschy

In this episode, I talk to Maroš Kutschy, a QA technical lead passionate about automation testing and self-improvement. We go into the topic of nonviolent communication and its impact on tech teams. Maroš explains its four core components: observations, feelings, needs, and requests. We discuss how simple changes in language can greatly improve team dynamics and communication. For example, he illustrates how expressing yourself without blame opens up clearer dialogue.

Maroš is QA Technical Lead at Ness Košice, Slovakia. His hobby is automation testing. He likes leading and mentoring colleagues, learning new automation testing framework and helping people to enter the world of testing. In 2022 he was speaking at ‚Testing United‘ in Prague, ‚Nordic Testing Days‘ in Tallinn, ‚Tacon‘ in Leipzig, ‚HUSTEF‘ in Budapest, and ‚Test Dive‘ in Cracow. In 2023 he was speaking at ‚Software Quality Days‘ in Munich, 'HalfStack' in Vienna, 'SEETEST' in Bucharest and 'SANAE BEER.EX' in Bratislava. He likes self-improvement and leadership books, stoic philosophy, and exercising in the gym.

Highlights:

  • Separate observation from evaluation: say "fixes arrived last day of sprint" not "developer procrastinates"
  • Express "I felt frustrated" not "you ignored me" to keep responsibility for feelings with yourself
  • Clearly state needs behind feelings: "I was disappointed because I needed to discuss open questions"
  • Make requests concrete and actionable: specify "Monday, Wednesday, Friday" instead of just "more often"
  • Listen without interrupting or storytelling; write questions down and ask only after person finishes
  • ...more
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    Software Testing Unleashed - QA, DevEx & Quality EngineeringBy Richard Seidl | Software Development & Testing Expert