adinakar

 Profile Answers by adinakar 

• Oct 19th, 2007

 

Two ways:
1. Defining a comprehesive configuration management plan for entire project or if not possible for entire project at least for testing phase. Communicating this plan and getting a buy in from the key stakeholders approving the approach

2. Identifying the impacts of QC efforts upfront in Risk Management section of Test Plan and sending a proactive communication to the project team about the adverse impacts of such impacts

dilton_dalton

 Profile Answers by dilton_dalton 

• Dec 8th, 2007

 

Generally speaking there are no fixed ways of dealing with hositility towards attempts to introduce quality related changes.  If you dig around you will find that most people are simply hostile to change, whether or not it relates to quality or not.  The reasons are individual and political and not necessarily related to the organization.  Some reasons for this hositility are;
1) the proposer is not seen as part of the affected group and the proposal is discounted because the group (or more particularly its leaders) doesn't feel that the proposer understands their concerns.
2) the affected group or perhaps just key members, have had bad experiences with Quality related changes in the past.
3)the proposed change is viewed as implying that the group is not doing a good job and opposition to the change is a reaction to this criticism or perhaps even fear that the change will demonstrate that this is true.
4) measurement proposals are viewed as a way of measuring individual performance which can be viewed as a threat by insecure members of a group.
5) the proposed change is viewed as a threat to the leadership position of the group leaders.  If the change is good then someone might question why the leadership, who is supposed to know what they are doing, has not introduced the proposed change long ago.
6) there is a view that the change will increase work load and slow the development process down (although this is often an excuse since by endorsing the change, management has implicitly or explicitely accepted this possibility).

People change for two main reasons; it seems like a good idea, or the pain of not changing becomes too great.  In the latter case, the changes tend to be designed to reduce the pain and not to advance the long term goals of the organization.  So in order to sell change, it is always best to try to make it look like a good idea.  If it is possible to make it look like the detractors have proposed the idea, then gaining acceptance will be that much easier.  So try to involve the most vocal detractors in the design of the changes if at all possible.  Give them credit for successes.  Offer to help them when you see that they have problems.  Get them on your side.