Testing in difficult situations

After nearly 25 years in QA, I’ve seen my fair share of difficult situations. But nothing quite compares to the stress of discovering a Severity 1 defect late in the project cycle. It’s the classic “messenger of doom” scenario—where QA becomes the bearer of bad news that can delay, or even cancel, an entire project.

One example stands out: two weeks before the scheduled deployment of a major program, our team discovered a significant performance issue. We’d spent nearly two years on planning, requirements, development, and testing, only to have everything come crashing down at the eleventh hour. From a non-functional testing perspective, we were definitely late in the game to be running these tests, but the problem couldn’t be ignored.

We immediately launched a week of intense stress testing, hoping it was just a glitch in the test environment. Unfortunately, the results didn’t improve. The only responsible move was to escalate and inform the executives. Their reaction? Let’s just say “not happy” was an understatement. The questions came fast and furious, and our team did everything possible to provide answers and propose mitigation plans. We even rescheduled deployment dates to buy time for a fix.

But a day later, leadership made the tough call: the program was cancelled. After years of effort and two frantic weeks of troubleshooting, the project was shelved. It was a gut punch for everyone involved—especially knowing our customers would never see the results of all that hard work.

As tough as it was, the experience forced us to take a hard look at our processes. We identified where things went wrong and made meaningful changes to ensure we’d never be caught off guard like that again. That’s often the best outcome from a tough situation: you uncover a problem, and you come out stronger on the other side.

Of course, not all challenges are team-wide. Sometimes, it’s an individual facing a personal crisis that bleeds into work, or a work issue that hits especially hard. As a people manager, it’s crucial to be aware and compassionate. Everyone faces tough moments, and some may not want to share personal details with their manager. I always remind my team that my door is open and their confidence is safe with me. If they’re not comfortable coming to me, I encourage them to reach out to HR, who can offer support and resources.

The key is communication. Letting someone know what’s happening, before issues fester, is always the best path. A good manager doesn’t shoot the messenger; they focus on solutions and support.

Let’s discuss practical approaches to handling setbacks, enhancing your QA process, and supporting your team. Reach out at jberriault@berriaultandassociates.com, and let’s turn challenges into opportunities for growth.