An interesting view into operations and resiliency on a large scale

Disaster Squad- Behind the Scenes at Xbox Live Operations Center

You can hear me in the harmony

I am a fan of Harry Connick, Jr.  The man can sing.  The man can swing.  The man has more going for him than any natural man should have.  But hey, more power to him.

I listened to his tune You can hear me in the harmony this morning and it got me thinking.

Recently I wrote a post about people who think testing is merely a supporting role.  While I certainly think most testing activities are equal in importance to other development activities, and should be considered as one within the SDLC, there is also this harmonious component that Mr. Connick, Jr. reminded me of.

So much of the art of testing and leadership is being able to accept and get really good at singing harmony.  We aren't called to be the Bono-like lead singer- with charisma, leather pants, and spotlights dripping off of us.  We are the person in the shadows, perfecting our art, contributing where we should, and taking satisfaction in helping others see their vision come to life.

I suppose this is just another aspect of the servant-leader model, but I wanted to call out a few thoughts.

I try my best to look at every single person in a way I look at a dear loved one.  They are individuals with talents, weaknesses, struggles, and joys.  They have goals. They have passions.  They deserve great things.

They are most certainly not a means-to-an-end.  They are not resources.  They are human beings- wonderfully imperfect and deserving of respect.

A definition of love that I cling to goes as follows:

Desiring the good of the other as other.

In this light, I strive to serve them (stakeholders, employees, co-workers), in the background, in the harmonies, in order to help them achieve their goals.

A further thought I had, is that, beyond this individual view, an organization is very much like a band.  Everyone has certain roles, and those roles can change over time, but the final product looks a lot like a group of people on stage putting on an inspiring show.

Think of all the people needed just to get that band on stage.  Roadies, managers, ticket-takers, sign-makers, janitors, sound and lighting engineers, and someone willing to take a risk.  MOST of the effort put forth is by those living in the shadows, living in the harmony.

Realizing these few things helps me to stay focused on what is important in testing and leadership.  I hope to be the best back-up singer I can be, and take joy in seeing the lead singer shine.

And now- Harry Connick, Jr.

Best Supporting Actor: Testing?

Recently, I've been interacting with people who seem to think Testing simply supports development efforts.  I envision Gregory Peck as Developer, walking into a fashionable room.  Nice wooden furniture, strong shadows, heavy curtains... all rendered in black and white.  I now look outside of the shot, and see Old Joe Tester holding the boom mic so that Mr. Peck may do his work- careful not to mess up the shot by being seen on-screen.

This is a dangerous conceptualization.  Testing must be thought of as part-and-parcel of the development activity.  We must fight against the temptations to think of an 'integration testing period' or an 'acceptance testing period'.

Here is a list of testing types that I think possibly could be decoupled from the activity of coding, but they are the exception, not the rule.

1. Load
2. Security
3. E2E
4. User Acceptance

I know that this is a generally non-controversial position to take, but I am alarmed at how frequently people around me take the 'test as support' view.

What are your thoughts?