I remember the days when I heard for the first time what it meant “quality”. It seemed so exact, so easy to digest, so deterministic, so undoubtful. For an inexperienced person those affirmations/definitions were hard to dismiss and contradict. I heard stuff like: no bugs, implementation of requirements as desired, standards fulfilled…
But in a way reality, my reality, was contradicted by those views of quality. They were, somehow, incomplete. Then I found this:
“Quality Is Value To Some Person
….
the definition of “quality” is always political and emotional, because it always involves a series of decisions about whose opinions count, and how much they count relative to one another. Of course, much of the time these political/emotional decisions–like all important political/emotional decisions–are hidden from public view. Most of us software people like to appear rational. That’s why very few people appreciate the impact of this definition of quality on the Agile approaches.”(1)
Each time there was a problem I tried to see it from this perspective and it helped. Below I listed some examples. Intentionally I connected them with the idea of quality, to create novel connections and to help spotting new things – “conceptual blending”. So:
- Regarding 360 Feedback
Colleagues evaluate/appreciate each other and even numbers can pop-up. What amazed me was that it can be used to show subjective opinions in an objective way, especially when numbers are used.
Conclusion: Is a lot of emotion there, which can be exposed as very rational and objective.(2)
- Strong argumentation is made regarding UI automated checks.
I have said checks, not tests and this is a big difference. And also I have to say that there are situations when they can be useful, of course.
But I have another example in my mind now. Too often I see proposals nice dressed/packed like in the book(s). Everything so rational. But then I began to see/question/investigate what is in the back of those statements.
Questions: What if that person wants it because this is a skill useful in resume? What if this is the career path for that person? What if good testing cannot be explained and made and these ui automated checks help save the appearance?
Conclusion: And slowly, slowly another face of this situation might be uncovered and is no longer so rational.
- The following remarque is made: “All task progress have to be filled in daily so the project manager/SM can see the progress”.
Questions: So he/she can’t realize it in another way what is happening in the project? How he/she can handle complex situations, which by definition can be predicted in totality? What if in the middle of the night is called by the boss regarding a status, can’t he/she articulate it without details? Can he/she not use estimation at all and still make it work?
Conclusion: So is a sign of uncertainty? What appeared reasonable it might be a sign of lack of control?
- The following remarque is made “You have to respect the process”.
Questions: What if people actually first communicated/interacted? What if is known that it will be no hesitation in solving problems found on spot?
And then suddenly comes the affirmation that process has to be respected. So clear, so rational. But isn’t a fear of not breaking something? Isn’t a way to respond to that fear?
Conclusion: So that remark might be a way to stop things in a rational way because of emotional things, like fear of uncovering/discovering other problems. So, maybe, process is put before interaction and collaboration because often the trend is the same as in industrial development, namely automation, continuous-line production. And it is dangerous when the person could stop each time the production line. (I know Toyota is a counter-example.)
References:
(1) Jerry Weinberg, “Agile and the Definition of Quality”: http://secretsofconsulting.blogspot.ro/2012/09/agile-and-definition-of-quality.html?m=1
(2) Liz Ryan, “The horrible truth about 360 degree feedback”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2015/10/21/the-horrible-truth-about-360-degree-feedback/#682614ba69b9