What challenges do you face in QA? Do you have too much to do and too little time in which to do it? Do you feel like you're always testing a moving target? Are you frustrated by inadequate or out-of-date requirements or specifications? Do other groups express annoyance when you find defects, then blame you for quality problems if you don't? Does it seem like you just can't win no matter what you do?

If so, you are not alone. The good news is that you have the power to improve your situation.

Bring your frustrations, challenges, problems, and yes, even your "fine whines" to this working session. We'll work together to find practical solutions that fit your context. Specifically, we'll use proven techniques and frameworks to:

• Reframe the problem. Shifting our perspective on the problem often yields new possible solutions.
• Engage the stakeholders. Congruent communication and Principled Negotiation can help us find solutions that address the key concerns of everyone involved.
• Increase visibility. Sometimes all that's needed to solve a problem is to make the problem, or our progress, more visible.
• Tap into the wisdom of the group. Anyone who has struggled with a problem has valuable insights; bringing these insights together often yields effective solutions.

There are several things this workshop will not provide you with. You will not receive The One True Answer to All QA Problems. If there is a Magic Wand of Instant, Perfect Test Results, no one has shared it with Elisabeth. You will not walk out of the session with Only Test Tool You'll Ever Need (unless you count the one between your ears).

Instead, this session will give you techniques for discovering possibilities and a renewed appreciation for your own innate ability to work through the every day challenges of being a QA professional.