STARWEST 2006: Improving the Skills of Software Testers

Many training courses include the topic of soft skills for testers, specifically their attitudes and behaviors. Testers are told that to be effective they need a negative mindset and a negative approach. Krishna Iyer challenges this belief. He believes testers must be creative rather than critical; curious rather than destructive; and empathetic rather than negative. Join Krishna as he leads exercises in mind mapping, systems thinking, and belief deconstruction to improve our eye's ability to perceive detail, our nose's ability to sniff out defects, and our brain's ability to discover. Finally, Krishna will list the beliefs that hinder testers and the beliefs that help and share how he has been successful in deconstructing some of these beliefs and inculcating new ones.

• Hear the latest research in cognitive thinking
• Learn practical techniques to improve testing skills
• Understand the mindset of effective testers