Being a specialist in a team with Ash Winter
We Not Me · Dan Hammond & Pia Lee
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Show Notes
To bring specialists into teams with different skill sets takes good communication and a knowledge of the history of the team you’re integrating. Doing this well means everyone can point their skills at solving problems.
Ash Winter is an experienced software tester who has a particular interest in how teams and organisations work. Ash has been a software tester for over 15 years, and has experience as a consultant, helping organisations improve their testing processes.
In his role he’s seen a wide range of team structures and sizes, and he’s particularly focused on the challenges and opportunities of being a specialist within a team.
Three reasons to listen
- Understand the unique challenges and opportunities of being a specialist in a cross-functional team
- Explore the impact of team history and dynamics on integrating new specialists
- Learn about the evolving role of software testers and their influence in modern development teams
Episode highlights
- [00:09:14] Testing teams
- [00:14:29] The problem with "embedding" into a team
- [00:16:30] The Spotify model
- [00:19:48] Communities of practice
- [00:22:57] Agile methodologies with multidisciplinary teams
- [00:28:05] The benefits of a coaching qualification
- [00:30:19] Ash's book recommendation
- [00:31:42] Takeaways from Dan and Pia
Links
- Connect with Ash via LinkedIn
- Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow, by Matthew Skelton & Pais Manuel
- The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni
- The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, by Eliyahu Goldratt
- The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win, by Gene Kim
- Leave us a voice note