In a call with @simon_tomes yesterday, we discussed the concept of being a Community Conduit.
The idea behind this is that by being deeply embedded in a community (such as the MoTaverse), you have access to a wealth of information and resources that you can share with your colleagues.
For example, let’s say you’re interested in introducing a new tool into your company but you’re unsure if your team will be on board. Posting a discussion on The Club and gaining opinions from members of the community will help you vouch for that new tool.
Or maybe you have an idea that you might usually ask an AI chatbot for ideas. That same question could be posted to The Club where you’ll get answers from real people with real experiences.
When you’re a Community Conduit, you’re never truly alone. I think back to my last role where I was the first QA hired and didn’t have anyone in the organisation to lean on for help with QA things.
By leveraging the community, you’ll be able to have that support, even if you’re the only QA person in the company.
I’d be keen to hear people’s thoughts on the idea of being a Community Conduit and any occasions where you have been one in your career.
I think this is the thing that we have to try to help hiring managers recognise.
Hiring managers who hire someone embedded in an external community of practice have a huge advantage.
Not only do they employ an active learner, they employ a community conduit who at any point can tap into the community for timely divergent help. This is a game changer for a company. Imagine a whole team of community conduits!
Folks often say it’s not what you know but who you know. And I’ll add Jarod Kintz’s take on that.
It’s not who you know that matters—it’s who knows you that’s important.
At this era and age ‘real experience’ is rare cause we are surrounded with AI (I am not saying its bad, even I use it almost on daily basis). However, its really important that we hear real stories and experiences from real people. This area is really close to my heart and I look forward to contribute in the space a lot more and would love to be a part of this initiative!
As I believe in my few previous interactions I have emphasized its not about QA role or designations but the mindset. Currently there are no designated “QA Human” (at my current company - keeping the details confidential) though we just need one person with ‘Quality advocacy and mindset’ and rest will follow! and I take pride in saying that I am happy being that person.
Its been quite a few years that I am associated with software industry and had a chance to work with diverse teams. Speaking of my current role: we collaboratively solve quality problems, we create automation strategies, who will be testing what on which environment and on what level, it always has my input even if sometimes nobody ask I consider this my responsibility to share my input because I know that I have an eye of that quality tester, a vision & necessary knowledge which one might get through diverse experience, even if I am not actively automating anything, I am assisting and guiding how an automation test strategy should look like, how manual testing could be conducted, how we can shift-left and avoid risks, sharing knowledge base articles on how to test, what is testing in local confluence.
I consider once a QA always a QA. You may have different designations but QA cant be taken out off of you You find one way or another to share your expertise as a QA no matter which part of team you are!
I believe I’m a community conduit, right here, right now. In the last few months I’ve thrown myself in and immersed myself in the community…rather than what I used to do, open the curtain, have a peak at the community and then go back to work. Just this week I’ve seen differences as a result.
I’ve become over the years confident at what I do well and I feel I had a powerful communication style in my organisations that could adapt and influence at any level - learnt through mistakes of the past. But this week alone thanks to the influence the community has had on me, I’ve had conversations and influenced in my organisation better than ever. I’ve had ideas to change thinking that I never would have had. I have done things in the community I know for a fact I wouldn’t have done without putting in as much as I do. Of course I’m benefiting from that, but so is my organisation.
Its been like having a team of consultants that have got your back. Some are having the challenges you’re having in the community. Someone has tried something that could work for you. If you feel the thinking in your organisation is stagnating, someone has done an initiative to change thinking. Sometimes you may have problem thats unique, so you ask the community and get a range of options. Its all there in the community.
what a brilliant idea! Absolutely thrilling. 
I consider this my responsibility to share my input because I know that I have an eye of that quality tester, a vision & necessary knowledge which one might get through diverse experience, even if I am not actively automating anything, I am assisting and guiding how an automation test strategy should look like, how manual testing could be conducted, how we can shift-left and avoid risks, sharing knowledge base articles on how to test, what is testing in local confluence.