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    Home » Testing Articles » Testing - General Articles » 6 Tips for Software Testers on Asking Questions

    6 Tips for Software Testers on Asking Questions

    A D V E R T I S E M E N T


    1. Learn from Kids

    Asking questions is important, but people are afraid of it. Why are we so reluctant to ask questions? Often, it's due to one of two reasons:

        We are worried we'll look stupid. When we ask questions, we are telling people we don't know something. Asking a question can make you vulnerable.
        We believe we "should" know things. This is especially true of people who have more experience. We tend to assume things and say, "I've been a tester for twelve years. I should be able to figure this out by myself."

    Kids do the opposite. They don't care what people think of them. They just ask questions without shame, and if your answer doesn't satisfy their curiosities, they will keep asking until they get an answer they understand (or until you're tired of answering them).

    The result? Kids learn new things very quickly.

    So, take a tip from children and don't ignore problems when you are puzzled; ask until you understand. The first step in learning to ask questions is to be brave enough to ask at all.

    2. Address the Root Problem

    Once you are willing to ask, you need to ask the right question. Often the questions we think of are shallow and don't explain the root cause�for example, "Do you know of a good test management tool?"

    Ask this question and you might get an answer, but it will likely be an answer that the person you're asking found solved their problems. You are trying to solve your problems.

    Instead, figure out what you really want to get from an answer, and then ask questions.

    3. Add More Context

    Beyond the root cause, the context explains the classic journalism questions�who, what, when, where, why, and how.

    So, instead of just asking about a good test management tool, add context by saying how long you have had the problem you're trying to fix, what you've found in the background research you have already done, what you have tried so far and how it worked out, and what you will do with the answers.

    4. Ask Five Whys

    Asking "Why?" five times is a popular root-cause analysis activity. It's an iterative question-asking technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a problem.

    Here's an example:

    The vehicle will not start. (The problem)

        Why? The battery is dead.
        Why? The alternator is not functioning.
        Why? The alternator belt has broken.
        Why? The alternator belt was well beyond its useful service life.
        Why? The vehicle was not maintained according to the recommended service schedule.

    Because you continued asking why, you finally got an answer that gives the root cause.

    5. Ask a Rubber Duck

    Hey, don't laugh.

    I'm talking about a debugging technique called rubber ducking, where a programmer who's stuck on a problem will explain his code line by line to a rubber duck at his desk while he's debugging the code.

    Often, the programmer will find the answer to the problem himself when he takes the time to explain the issue aloud to an impartial, inanimate object.

    Although it's usually a programming technique, the idea is applicable in software testing as well. Of course, you can explain the problem to your peers to jumpstart your thinking instead, but asking the rubber duck keeps you from interrupting your coworkers�and it sounds more fun.

    6. Stop and Think

    Let's say someone comes to you with a problem. Before jumping in to tackle it, make sure you understand fully what's going on. Michael Bolton suggests four simple words to use in order to pause and engage your critical thinking: huh, really, and, and so?



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