The Test Lead is inexperienced, is 'stealing' your work and is taking away all the credit. What is the best way to avoid frustration and deal with?
Jan De Wael • @Diva, as listed above, you have multiple options. Key is that YOU stay in control of YOUR life. Your lead may steal credits from your work, but should not touch your self-respect.
From the options I read you may:
- quit the team, why should you spent energy for that boss?
- focus on your own objective, rather than looking from fair treatment from your lead, you may find rewards from the job you do, the things you learn, the rewards from peers...
- change the relationship with your lead (you may change your way in communication with your lead and change the way you think about him/her (e.g. where is she/he good in, what do I appreciate from her/him)? As long as you see only negative attitudes, it will be difficult to communicate openly
- go for the power battle, as a direct confrontation or after looking for support by senior management.
- maybe more options...
All options have there advantages and disadvantages, may cost you more energy or look easy. It's finally your game. Good luck.
Earl Willis • @Diva,
The things is, your skill might just take you to another position where you will have a lead with more integrity or even be inline to be a lead yourself and have that opportunity for advancement. The way it sounds, due to the lack of technical knowledge, this resource does not sound like they are willing to let this fact be known on a wide-scale level. At the same time, there is a risk that this is all known, and no one will take action because the work keeps getting done. Nobody will try to fix what is broken if projects are still getting completed. It's only broken on your end. With that said, deceit can go very far and that is something to take into consideration in figuring out next steps, instead of letting the chips fall where they may.
As Jan said, YOU stay in control of YOUR life, and YOUR career.
Contrary to what Freddie is saying, and I respect his opinion, but I don't think we're telling what you want to hear. I think we're telling you what you don't want to hear. Staying on the job is the easy option as that is your current comfort zone. Exploring the unknown is much more challenging and daunting.
Isn't it crazy to think that you are trying to work out a situation that only isn't working out for you. We're not saying leave or quit, we're just saying explore your options while morale is still somewhat high and you are feeling confident about your testing abilities, while trying to work out your current situation. Being proactive never hurt anyone.
When the dust clears you will have a few options in your hand, instead of one.
Nasera H. • Dear you told me so late about this .... :-)
So here are my points, if you think them “useful” use it...! lol
* Now I can’t suggest this as I am so late here... LOL --- Before posting this topic, check whether he /she is here on LinkedIn or not...
* Don’t get even more DISTURBED OR CONFUSED by the arguments going on here .... hahahaha
* I agree with Freddy, you SHOULD NOT quit the job... why should you? Why not that person?
* I know it is very frustrating and it is difficult to handle too, but dear, you are strong enough to handle such people. Almost everybody faces this type of problem at least once in life or even more times.... so nothing new about this.... So whatever you will do or create any document, do keep others in CC or BCC.... Make it a habit, so they will be aware about this fact that you are the original creator of it.... :-)
* Whenever you will do any good work, go and tell your friends and seniors immediately... either by phone, IM or personally.
* Never disclose your ideas and suggestions in front of that person who is going to take benefit of that and put it as if it is his or her idea.... Disclose your ideas and points in front of others and directly in front of your seniors in the meetings... So nobody will get any chance to copy it... or take credit for it...!
* See even though he or she is pleasing your boss by chatting and calling etc... EVERY BOSS IS SMART ENOUGH to identify the REAL talent and even though boss is not admitting it openly, due to that person’s favour, he/she knows very well about the capabilities of all the employees so don’t bother about it...
* Just IGNORE this cheater.... because like you even others are also aware about his or her habits... So even if you are feeling that only you know that he or she is taking undue credit, it is NOT true, others from your office are also AWARE about his/her such shallow activities... LOL
* Now if that person is available on LinkedIn then OMG..... (SORRY FOR BEING UNPROFESSIONAL HERE and writing in this manner : p lol) you have already made him or her realize that whatever he or she is doing is NOT GOOD...!!! But hey now my points are NOT the secrets anymore to make his or her plan fail....hahahaha
10) By the way, I am declaring here that I am NOT your LEAD and seriously I don’t know your LEAD.... ahahahaha.... I hope now you will NOT QUIT your job at all and hey contact me privately I do have more secrets to tell you how to deal with it .... ;) But NEVER FORGET TO SMILE.... We will sort it out this yaar, don’t worry at all...!!! Cheers.... ;-)
Curtis Stuehrenberg • @Diva - I think you are taking a path of correct actions both ethically and professionally. It is difficult to imagine a situation where some one is removing a document author entry and substituting their own name without being very aware they are plagiarizing some one else's work. Confronting them about doing this sort of thing will not open their eyes to a sudden realization it is wrong to take credit for some one else's ideas and work.
The best course is to stay where you are and simply do your work. Gain actual knowledge and experience you can use no matter where you end up. If this person wants to advance through personal relationships coupled with theft, then let them. They may be found out at some point, and they may end up CEO of a large corporation. It really doesn't matter. What matters is how you feel about your work and how you've conducted yourself.
Diane Miller • Frankly guys, I've seen a lot of unqualified people get promoted and rewarded for bad behavior in life (if you haven't noted it in your career, just look at the celebrities of reality tv)
@Diva, I don't know the environment you are in, but I understand and have been in quite a few 'good old boy' environments over the past 14 years. I've been told by a past manager that once a tester, always a tester and that as a female I'd never move beyond a tester. I don't have a solution, just words of advice. Hang in there, the lead will either get found out for their incompetence or move on to another job or area. Continue to do your job and build your skills, look at training, certifications, etc. if necessary.
And things will turn around. If they don't you will have the experience and skillset to go elsewhere, where you will be appreciated more.
Source : Linkedin Discussion from the group : Software Testing & Quality Assurance
Bhava Sikandar • You have few options
1. Escalate this or bring awareness to your senior management.
2. If you do not have access to senior management, the other option is to ensure you use the right tool i mean good defect tracking tool can help you to report all your defects finding in the product testing, i dont think lead can change the "Found by" in the defect tracking tool. Write a good test cases which can find the defects at the early stage.
3. If he is just showing up the metrics and getting the credit ensure you automate his job so that management can think of his job as redundant..
CurtisUnfollow
Curtis Stuehrenberg • Ethically this is an interesting question and one I've had to frequently face myself. I don't think there is a standard answer applicable to all situations, unfortunately. The only thing you cannot do is change their behavior for them.
Since you cannot change their behavior, let me ask you a quick question. Why do you care? You know you are doing the work. You know you are building out your skills and experience. Even if your lead is taking credit for your work, so what? Eventually he or she will say something ridiculous or commit to something impossible and they will be found out. Until then all you can do is perform with dignity and professionalism. If you do so no matter what happens you can feel morally, ethically, and professionally justified. Even if this lead decides to blame everything on you and you are fired (worst case scenario), you can walk into the interview for a new job with the confidence and assurance that comes from correct and moral actions. Your lead, on the other hand, will have to explain why their own work has suddenly stopped.
However if you feel enough frustration and indignation at your lead where you feel like you cannot conduct yourself as a professional ... then quit. Find a position with a lead and a management team more in alignment with your justifiably high commitment to personal accountability and honesty. It is infinitely easier to simply find a new job than navigating the mine field of office politics and official action on your part would immediately trigger. People who do this sort of thing and become leads or managers are ALWAYS consummate office politicians. The fact they cannot do the work and yet are expected to be a lead for others should tell you they are either very good at lying and confusing upper management with their webs or they are somehow connected to a high-ranking person in an inappropriate manner. Neither of these possibilities grant you much chance or winning in the battle soon to follow if you take official action and complain up the company ladder.
So my advice is to find a new job and then quit. If you do not want to quit, then approach your lead and tell them directly you do not appreciate what they are doing and find it ethically reprehensible. Then quietly sit still while they continue to steal your work.
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Earl Willis • That's cold Bhava! Automating his job? I find being in a technical leadership position, your best bet and best approach is to have actual STRONG technical knowledge that puts you in a position to lead from the front and not from behind.
It seems the Test Lead is leading from behind w/out actual knowledge. Due to this person's lack of knowledge they are probably fearful of taking risks, overly concerned with their reputations, making tough decisions, etc., the list goes on. This will eventually set the tone for the group. Upper management will eventually find out as this tone usually invariably filters it's way through the entire team making effective action impossible.
I'd say stick to your guns, keep producing Quality work, don't sacrifice your integrity, and document tasks that you have been doing successfully. When the above-mentioned happens, you will have a stronger case with senior management. You may also have the support of your other team members, as they are probably going through the same.
On the other hand, from what Curtis said, this may be a losing battle if they are well-trained in 'confusing upper management with their webs' or connected to a high-ranking person. In that case, I'd try to find another job.
CurtisUnfollow
Curtis Stuehrenberg • It's also possible they don't know they're doing something wrong and might need to be told their actions are not welcomed. If the lead is very inexperienced they might think what they're doing is standard or at least not that big of a deal. If you don't tell them, they won't know and be able to correct it.
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Freddy Vega • @Diva, please do not quit your job! :)
Someone on this thread said "The fact they cannot do the work and yet are expected to be a lead for others should tell you they are either very good at lying and confusing upper management with their webs or they are somehow connected to a high-ranking person in an inappropriate manner."
Those are not the ONLY two things this lead can be. It can also mean that he is required to present the work that others perform (this is a normal process in any lead's job). It can also mean that, while he does not have experience in test, he may be a company or industry veteran that truly understands the business and was placed in the position, with trusted QA folks below him, to run a tight ship.
The best way to deal with this situation IMO, is communication, communication, communication. Be it via suggesting new processes, tools, etc or talking, emailing the lead directly. Just do not quit your job and do not automate his job!!! :)
If you can't beat them, join them. Become his ally and watch yourself rise to the top! ;)
CurtisUnfollow
Curtis Stuehrenberg • @Freddy - So you think that if she finds the situation completely unbearable and cannot conduct herself as a professional then she should just suck it up and keep working, perhaps even align herself with this person in order to further her own career? I ask because that's the situation I outlined when I suggested quitting as an extreme reaction.
If Diva truly finds the situation too horrible to bear, then she should find a new job a quit. If however she is simply looking to vent a little pressure, she has other options. You should NEVER approach some one with an accusation like this without full realization of where it might lead. If her lead is a reasonable person and truly does not know his or her behavior is professionally unethical, then communication is truly the most beneficial option. However if her lead is fully aware of the situation and either does not care or sees no other option for personal advancement, then confronting him or her about it will only cause problems. The truth of the situation probably lies somewhere in between these two extremes but it does not remove them completely. You should never gamble with money you cannot afford to lose. You should also never stand up for principles you are not willing to sacrifice other things to maintain.
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Freddy Vega • @Curtis, NO, I do not think she should "suck it up and keep working"
I am suggesting that she should "align herself" with this Lead. Once they are both going in the same direction; sparks will fly!
You do this, with COMMUNICATION! and that, Curtis, is what I am suggesting.
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Freddy Vega • And yes, once they (Diva and Lead) are aligned, they will both be at the relative* top (from a work/career perspective).
*relative: meaning from the current situation (i.e. bad, stealing work, etc).
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William "Bill" Malik, CISA • The risk with aligning your career with a fraud is that when they go down, you will too. Why take that risk? If I see my boss stealing anything from anyone, I'll report it to the appropriate leader. If the organization's culture is to accept the malfeasance, then best to get out of there. Do you want to have Enron on your resume?
The point is that eventually bad behavior comes to light. Maybe not soon enough, maybe not fully enough, but it will. In the meantime, as Kurt Vonnegut said, "Your are who you pretend to be, so be careful about who you pretend to be." If you choose to stand with a known crook, then the premise that you don't like crooked behavior is rendered meaningless. Actions > words, and words > ideas.
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Freddy Vega • @William, that is assuming the work is being "stolen". This is all a perception thing. We cannot assume the worst without more information first. This is why COMMUNICATION is the right answer.
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Freddy Vega • Oh and William... I concur... "Actions speak louder than words" ;)
DivaUnfollow
Diva Samanta • Hmm.... it is interesting to read so many different views on the subject.
Let me give you all some specifics:
1. The first thing this person did is become best frineds with the QA manager.... getting into the personal life, calling, chatting.... in one word 'buttering' is an everyday thing.
2. The communication skill is world famous, I mean, office famous.... horrible English and sentence construction.... hard to figure out the meanings of the emails sent.
3. This person would ask the testers to create documents or pull excel reports from Quality Center for the Sign Offs or other related documents he/she is supposed to create. If these documents are sent to him/her and the manager is copied in the email, this person will call the tester and RAISE HELL.
4. Since the communication skill is not good enough, this person would forward the same email to the manager that the tester had sent, changing the name at the bottom of the email. The way we discovered this is via Live Meeting when his/her desktop was shared by many.
These are just a few examples....
BTW, I like the quitting option.... does any of you have a position open for me ? ;)
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Freddy Vega • Well, all I can say is that there are two sides to every coin ;)
Diva, I'm not saying that you are wrong. I'm just saying that all of the issues you raise can be fixed with COMMUNICATION.
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Curtis Stuehrenberg • @Diva - It sounds like you have a good sense of humor about this, so I would just let it go. You and the rest of the team should conduct yourselves as professionals and let this person slowly dig their own grave. Personal relationships are great and can help you advance your career in ways you'd never quite suspect, but they do not pay bills. At the end of the day it is the person who can do the work that will be in high demand, not the person with whom it is fun to hang around.
If your management team is not aware they are simply signing their names to documents and communications produced by several people, then your upper management are fools. However I suspect they know and simply don't care ... so long as the work is being done. Sooner rather than later this person will run into a problem they cannot steal or flatter their way out of. Their inexperience, lack of communication, and tendency to take credit for other people's ideas and work will then NOT be ignored.
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Earl Willis • @Diva,
Changing names raises a red flag in my book. Sounds to me like this person knows exactly what they are doing. The more I read of your circumstances, the more I have to agree with Curtis's first comment when he says 'It is infinitely easier to simply find a new job than navigating the mine field of office politics and official action on your part would immediately trigger'. Especially one in which the team you are going to shares the same beliefs about integrity as you.
Of course, this is easier said than done but you are in a better position as you can look for another opportunity while you have a job which allows you to feel everything out before making a commitment just for the sake of leaving your current situation.
The more you explore alternative opportunities the more empowerment you will feel over your situation, and this will also give you an idea of what you will lose if you leave, and what you can lose if you don't leave.
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William "Bill" Malik, CISA • @Freddy
The only reason I said that something was stolen was that Diva said something was being stolen. It would be great to see an example of the specific communication - what would be said, and to whom, that would resolve all of these issues.
Here are a couple of parameters: 1) Let's assume that D has a professional reputation and a level of personal integrity that she does not want to sacrifice. 2) Let's assume that D doesn't want to be bullied at work. 3) Let's assume that L is devious.
So D goes to L and asks for something to change, and L responds by making life more difficult for D.
Or, D goes to QA Mgr to report L's behavior. QA Mgr and L make life more difficult for D.
Or, D goes to VP/CIO to report L and QA Mgr's harassment. VP investigates and makes life more difficult for D.
So, what's your plan?
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Freddy Vega • @Diva, note that a lot of folks are encouraging you to quit your job rather than face the issues, communicate, and come out the other end, in the least, a bigger person.
Working through problems is any engineers dream! Work through IT! Communicate! Take action, all positive and constructive. Even if it means looking at yourself critically. :)
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Freddy Vega • But @William,
My plan is not to assume or guess. Its just to communicate and take appropriate action as the "unknown" becomes "known".
DivaUnfollow
Diva Samanta • @ Curtis, @ Earl, @ William.... I agree with you ....
I have decided to give it my best shot and see how far I can go with my skills and how far this person can go with deceit. There is a saying "Winners never quit. Quitters never win". I have faith in my capabilities. At the end of the day, I am not the one who asks for help to get things done. For the time being, I am just being a silent observer and a team player.
@ Freddy, how do you communicate with a fraud?
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Freddy Vega • @Diva, I realize what I am telling you may not be what you want to hear (like Curtis, Earl, William, etc). I also realize that the advice I am giving you is much harder to execute (easier said than done, right?) but you said it yourself "Winners never quit. Quitters never win".
So if you follow that quote it is saying exactly what I am recommending you do ;)
How do you communicate with a Fraud? The same way you communicate with anybody.
However, the first thing I would do is get the word "fraud" or "steal" or anything that sounds negative or destructive out of my vocabulary when I either reference or talk to this individual. I know, I know, easier said than done. But IT CAN be done...