Playing Politics at Work
Focus on Getting the Testing Done
Welcome to the world of Quality Assurance, where finding bugs is just one part of the job. Beyond the technical challenges, there's a whole other layer that can be even more complicated: navigating the political landscape of corporate America. You might think the office politics are confined to boardrooms, but the reality is, they can affect everything - your projects, your career, and even the quality of your work.
The Reality: A Tight-Knit Core Group
In many businesses, there's a core group of people who pull the strings behind the scenes. They're often managers or senior leaders who've known each other for years and wield significant influence. These people tend to hang out together, have lunch offsite, and make key decisions that ripple throughout the organization. They may not be the ones in the trenches, but they control what happens on the battlefield.
For newcomers - especially those with fresh ideas and an eagerness to improve processes - this can feel like a brick wall. You might bring a brilliant suggestion for streamlining the release process or optimizing the testing workflow, but getting buy-in from the core group can feel impossible. They may view outsiders, especially those with different perspectives, as a threat to their status quo.
My Experience: The Manager with the Sales Hat
I've been in that position before. My former manager at a very large ecommerce site was so focused on impressing this core group that our one-on-one meetings became a rarity. Instead, he'd be off attending every meeting he could with the key decision-makers, trying to climb the corporate ladder. He wasn't a bad person, but he made it clear where his priorities lay - being seen by the right people, rather than supporting the people under him.
It was frustrating, to say the least. There I was, trying to push for improvements in our testing processes and advocating for better quality, but it often felt like my efforts were invisible. If I wanted to make progress, I needed to understand the lay of the land and find ways to navigate around it.
Finding Your Path: Focus, Over-Deliver, and Skill Up
Here's the reality check: as a QA Engineer, you may not be part of the "in" crowd right away, but you don't have to be sidelined. There are strategies, that I have learned, which you can use to build your reputation and make your mark:
Focus on Your Goals: Don't get distracted by the politics, but don't ignore them either. Focus on delivering high-quality work consistently. Make sure your bug reports are thorough, your test plans are well-documented, and you're always looking for ways to improve the product.
Over-Deliver When It Matters: This is your ticket to building credibility. Sometimes, it means burning the midnight oil or working through a weekend. But if you can pull off a critical testing phase or help recover a project that's about to miss a deadline, people notice. It shows you're dedicated and reliable, and it might even catch the eye of those key decision-makers.
Be Ready with Your 'Sales Hat': When you do have ideas for improvements, be prepared to sell them like a pro. This means doing your research, building a solid business case, and framing your suggestions in a way that appeals to their priorities. It's not just about being right - it's about being persuasive.
Invest in Your Skills: The political climate might not change overnight, but you can keep improving yourself. Learn Python, JavaScript, or whatever new tool is in demand. These skills not only help you automate tedious testing tasks, but they also make you more valuable, both inside and outside of your current organization.
Why It's Worth It
It can be tempting to give up when it feels like you're shouting into a void. But navigating the politics is a skill in itself, and one that can pay off in the long run. You don't have to become best friends with the core group, but if you can show that you're competent, dependable, and skilled, you might just find yourself being invited to that offsite lunch one day.
And if you don't? Well, the skills and reputation you build along the way will follow you wherever you go. You'll be prepared for whatever comes next, whether it's a new opportunity within the company or a fresh start somewhere else.
After all, Quality Assurance isn't just about making sure the software works - it's about finding a way to thrive, even when the landscape around you isn't as polished as the code you test.