Thread by @ali_hill91

Coaching and management panel at #TestBash Home. @charrett says that the Covid-19 crisis has led to us working better remotely and being more empathetic to others

@charrett: you need to adapt your coaching style depending on what and who you're coaching. The medium that you coach through may change your style. Coaching through Slack may not give you the full picture. Try and see the world through the person your coaching's eyes #TestBash

@testertested: implementing change for people who are reluctant requires a mixture of consultancy and coaching skills. Consult directly to the people who are resisting to understand why. This needs to be done before coaching begins #TestBash

@AWGHodder: moving from being an individual contributor to a coach/manager requires you to ask "what if this person is right?". The people you're coaching have a different idea from you and what they come up with can blow you away #TestBash

@charrett: a mentor is there to guide their mentees. Top 3 tips for mentoring:
1. See the world through their eyes.
2. Realise you don't have all the answers, but seek those answers
3. Open doors for your mentees - utilise your network. #TestBash

@testertested was asked how you begin your coaching journey. Secrets of Consulting by Jerry Weinberg was recommended. Being able to learn is key to being a good coach. You need to balance being coached and wanting to coach. #TestBash

@charrett adds that when you are starting out you should look at your facilitation skills. How do you help a team get together to create a testing strategy? Everyone has different ideas to add and the team needs to work through all of those #TestBash

@AWGHodder suggests that you begin by learning about yourself. What are you comfortable not knowing? Aaron coached someone on automation, an area he wasn't an expert in, and asked deep and probing questions. "I don't know, let's find out together" is a useful phrase #TestBash

@testertested was asked about tips for coaching upwards. We should build a relationship with our managers so they feel comfortable showing vulnerability. Showing vulnerability yourself helps with this. Only then can the coaching begin. #TestBash

@AWGHodder recommends creating a personal user manual. It helps create a common language about who you are as a person - hrbartender.com/2017/employee-… #TestBash

@charrett: managing upwards is really difficult. Taper your expectations of what you want to achieve. Seek out an ally who can mentor you through this. Make it as easy as possible for your boss to say yes. What do you need to provide them to help them achieve? #TestBash

@testertested is asked how you decide what to delegate. He starts off by saying that your first role in management involves a lot of failure and learning. Recommends the book Situational Leadership. Different people need a different level of coaching/mentoring/teaching #TestBash

Delegation can change depending on personnel changes. If someone leaves and a new person comes in, that new person might not feel comfortable taking on that delegated task. So managers need to be flexible in this area #TestBash

@charrett is asked how to deal with a strong personality. What you identify as a difficult personality, another person may see as a strength. Not everyone learns the same way you do or appreciates the way you think. Try to understand where they're coming from #TestBash

Some people really don't appreciate be thrown in at the deep-end. It is a good idea to pair with other managers about how to coach difficult personalities. It is worth spending one on one time with this person to understand more about them #TestBash

If a difficult situation does develop, then you shouldn't deal with this alone. If the situation needs advice from HR, then get them involved #TestBash

Number 1 quality you look for in a mentor:
@testertested: I can't meet all your needs, here are others who can help
@charrett: someone who can teach me something I don't know anything about
@AWGHodder: I feel it, it is intangible. Time flies when in a session
#TestBash

Number 1 thing you have learned during this crisis as a manager:
@testertested: trust is a fundamental factor for peace of mind
@charrett: I can be kind to myself
@AWGHodder: people may be putting on a "mask" in the workplace. They are more comfortable at home #TestBash

What a great panel that was. Thank you @AWGHodder, @charrett and @testertested! Also, some great facilitation from @TristanLombard2. The conversation was flowing! Could've listened to this group for hours. #TestBash