People-Driven

Understanding People

I think one of the key aspects to a good people manager is to be able to understand people. Their perspectives, what's important to them, their world view in a sense. Understanding the people within your Department goes a long way in achieving everything else you need to as a manager: expectation setting, coaching them towards a common goal, performance reviews, etc.

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I have also utilized skip level meetings in the past to understand people within the QA Department that do not directly report to me and to give them more direct access to senior leadership which can be instrumental in fostering trust, understanding and alignment across an entire department.

Individual Development

I also like to make sure that individuals can develop in whatever areas they want to, so long as it doesn't interfere with their day-to-day responsibilities. I have helped coach people to move into other departments and also coached aspiring future leaders in the way I manage myself.

Team 
Development

Team Development is equally important and I have been heavily involved in the past in making sure there's knowledge sharing within the teams and I've also championed QA having the opportunity to attend international QA Conferences and GDC. I've also hosted QA workshops at such conferences. In addition to that I've also been heavily involved in spearheading the creation of QA Knowledgebases to make sure all of the collective knowledge within QA is easily accessible and available to everyone.

Utilising Strengths

When someone has a passion to be involved with something that they also have a strength in, I have encouraged, coached and tried to facilitate these opportunities.

Acknowledging Weaknesses

I have also made sure that individuals acknowledge their weaknesses, have coached around trying to improve while also making sure people aren't to hard on themselves around their weaknesses.

Team Bonding

Team Bonding is also really important in order to keep morale. I have hosted various team building activities as a manager throughout the years, both internally within companies as well as externally.

Conflict Resolution

As a manager I have had my share of dealing with various conflicts - both minor and severe, alone and alongside other managers. However I also try to get ahead of the curve and make sure conflict doesn't arise in the first place.

Regular
Check-Ins

At each company I've worked at as a QA Manager, one of the first things I tell people is that I have an open door policy. I want People to know I'm always available.

Leading by Example

I strive to lead by all the principles mentioned on this site.

I think it's important for leaders to create new leaders by leading by example and I've certainly coached regular QA Testers and QA Leaders in leadership principles.

Onboarding & Retention

I have created comprehensive onboarding material for new employees in the past and have also kept an eye on indicators when employees may be at the verge of leaving the organization and have tried to understand the reasons for that, so that perhaps an underlying issue can be resolved.

Advocacy for QA Team

I have been an advocate for QA on several fronts, including being more involved within the development process, having fair salaries, having equal opportunity for growth by attending conferences like GDC, etc.

Change Management

When priorities or companies change, I have experience with supporting QA Teams through that change, without compromising the goals of such change. Change can be difficult for people and I have experience in managing the reactions that often come from such change and fostering understanding and alignment.

Expectation Management

Similar to "Communication", in my experience a lot of People related issues within an organization can be resolved through proper "Expectation Management". I have learned a good balance between leading with empathy and being understanding of People while at the same time managing their expectations within the realities of working within a business.