Kevin Harris: The New Test Manager's Survival Guide
summary
Clear, specific checklist for new test managers: spend the first days learning stakeholders and current practices, don’t change anything, build one big prioritized list and keep it fluid, and prove value with quick wins. Run half an hour every week one-to-ones, own hiring (hire for gaps, not clones) and staff careers, and focus on improving testing rather than doing it. Beware absurd artifacts like 42,000 pages of test evidence for 39 stories; communicate evidence-based needs, and delegate as testers grow. Budget responsibility appears (example €5 million) but justify asks with outcomes.
AI-written summary · about
chapters (15)
- 0:00Introduction
- 3:33Why become a test manager
- 7:46Internal vs company change
- 10:18Diverse testing experience
- 11:00First steps as test manager
- 13:52Building team relationships
- 16:02Prioritized improvement plan
- 18:52Test manager responsibilities
- 21:02Importance of testing knowledge
- 22:28Improving testing processes
- 23:52Agile in test management
- 25:17Hiring skilled testers
- 27:44Supporting and developing team
- 30:31Trusting the process
- 31:36Q&A
related talks
06mBecoming a Valuable Test Manager in the Age of Agility
01h 02mAgile Testers and Test Managers: Now What?
39mSecrets of a Successful Project Through the Eyes of a Test Manager
31mWhy I Lost My Job As a Test Manager and What I’ve Learnt As a Result
01h 01mHabits of a Highly Effective Technical Manager
01h 03mHow to thrive as a tester
37mTransforming Testing from a Task to a Strategic Mindset
10mThe value of testing