personal improvement
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How Software Testers Can Stay Relevant Testers have an important responsibility to protect and further their craft. Many people who want to be considered testers should engage in career development more than they might have in the past. Hans Buwalda highlights four areas that testers need to understand to stay relevant. |
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Make Your One-on-One Meetings More EffectiveOne-on-one meetings between managers and the people on their teams can be a very powerful tool, but it's also all too easy for these meetings to become routine, simply turning into regular status reports. One-on-ones should address career development, identify obstacles, and look at the big picture. | 
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Are You Doing the Important Work, or Do You Just Think You Are?“Playing work” is when we do activities that look like work—they may even feel like work—but deep down, we know we aren’t being productive. These diversions are dangerous because they don't actually generate value and distract you from real work. Have you fallen victim to any of these deceptive time-wasters? | 
Matt Heusser |
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Give Yourself a Boost with Laughter—whether Real or Not So MuchLaughter has health benefits similar to a workout, including increased heart rate, stretched muscles, improved blood flow, and enhanced respiration. What’s really interesting, though, is that faking laughter can cause your body to respond as though the laughter is real, thereby gaining similar benefits. | 
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How to Become a CEOIf you aspire to become a CEO, you need, at minimum, a heavy dose of personal drive and ambition. Communication skills (both speaking and listening) are top priority, and so is being able to get along with others. What other characteristics and experience do you need if you want that top title? Read on. |
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Why Chemistry and Character Are Often Afterthoughts When Building Software Teams One aspect of the interviewing process you can’t forget is chemistry. We so often look at someone’s skills and competence in certain areas of the job and completely forget that if that person can’t work well with your current team, development won’t go smoothly. |
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How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the CalmOne reason we worry is the belief that worrying has positive effects, such as seeking a better way of handling the thing we’re worried about. That's great for the things you can change, but what about those you can't? In that case, there are ways to reduce worrying and its negative consequences. |
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Not a Fan of Small Talk? Practice Makes PerfectMost people who dislike small talk say it's because it's a waste of time. But sometimes it's necessary—provided you don't want to appear standoffish. One key to making small talk, therefore, is to find ways to turn the trivial banter into something more substantial. Use these suggestions in your next chat. |
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