Error culture often determines whether software projects are successful or fail. As soon as errors occur, it becomes clear how honest and open teams really are with each other. It is not enough to simply promise openness - the decisive factor is how organizations react in stressful situations and whether they learn from their mistakes. Constructive discussions, regular exchanges and mutual understanding can ensure that mistakes are not seen as a personal failure, but as an opportunity for improvement.
In this episode, I talk to Katja Radom about error culture and why it is the driving force behind software quality and satisfied users. We do away with vision board slogans. What counts: clarifying early on what a bug means, how we report it and how we react as a team. This includes retrospectives or regular stops, time to learn and quality management that takes bugs and quality gates seriously. We talk about role models, managers as part of the solution, international stereotypes and the art of giving and receiving feedback. My conclusion: start small, stay curious, apologize if you were over the top. That's how culture grows. Even under pressure.
"I wouldn't make a big criticism on day one, because you don't know how the other person will take it." - Katja Radom
Katja Radom is a Director in the Technology Consulting unit at EY Germany in Hamburg. As an expert in software test management, she is responsible for EY Germany's software testing services and is actively networked in EY's global quality engineering expert network. Before joining EY in 2001, she gained extensive experience in the implementation of software in the ERP and IT service management environment in consulting and industry. In her projects, she has worked closely with all parties involved, from testers to client management, to ensure the quality of the systems of systems implemented. She has worked in both local and large international teams consisting of consultants, clients and external software vendors. She is particularly interested in the "human factor" in software implementation projects, as she sees this as an important key to project success.
Error culture is more than just a buzzword on the vision board. In practice, it often determines whether projects are successful - or whether they grind to a halt. But what is really behind it? In a podcast episode of the Software Testing Podcast, Richie talked to expert Katja Radom about what error culture means in everyday project work and how teams can really live it.
The word "error culture" sounds nice and constructive at first. But when it gets serious, the opposite often prevails: blame, stonewalling, silence. Katja Radom gets to the heart of the matter: "Many organizations claim to have an error culture, but in everyday life it's more about not being to blame. As soon as something goes wrong, the search for excuses and those responsible begins immediately. This paralyzes entire teams, creates mistrust and means that the learning opportunity that a mistake could offer simply evaporates.
Yet errors are normal in the software process. Testers will find defects. Developers will have to solve problems. Where people work together, things happen - in meetings, in code, in service cases. The decisive factor is not whether errors occur, but how honestly we deal with them.
The basis: we can talk openly about mistakes. Mistakes are allowed to happen. And: mistakes offer the opportunity to become stronger as a team. Katja Radom suggests clearly defining how the team deals with mistakes at the start of the project. "It's not a bad thing if we make or find mistakes," she explains. "It's much more important that we want to achieve our goal together - and every contribution counts, including pointing out problems."
Unpleasant situations can never be completely avoided. But with the right attitude, they can be resolved more quickly. It is helpful to look back regularly: What went well? Where was there conflict? What can we do better next time? Whether with retro meetings in an agile environment or other feedback formats in traditional projects: Open communication and honest feedback are key.
Error analysis often follows the same pattern: bug found, ticket closed, done. But learning takes time. Katja Radom advises consciously setting aside time to discuss mistakes made - even if this doesn't always happen immediately after the bug is found. Sometimes it takes distance and a new perspective, she says: "It helps to take a step back after a stressful phase and take a sober look: What problems could we avoid next time?"
It is important to recognize patterns from recurring problems and to address them systematically. Small, regular analyses often achieve more than the big error conference at the end of the project. Otherwise the team will repeat the same mistakes again and again.
Being open to mistakes is not easy. Feedback and criticism are quickly hurtful, especially in times when harmony is needed in everyday office life. Katja Radom emphasizes how important it is to get to know the team in order to find the right language for criticism. Not everyone takes direct criticism well. Sensitivity helps, especially at the beginning: "I wouldn't immediately overwhelm anyone with criticism - first understand what makes the other person tick."
Your own attitude also plays a role: accept criticism without immediately blocking it. Sometimes it helps to sleep on it. "How relevant will the anger still be tomorrow?" asks Katja Radom and advises not to let feelings boil over straight away. There is often little left of the excitement after a few days.
How everyone can get started: practical tips for your own error culture
How do you approach the topic in a team? The easiest way is to start at the beginning of a new project. But you can also provide impetus in everyday life: look for allies, actively discuss how you want to deal with mistakes. Try out new formats for feedback and retrospectives. Don't expect everything to work right away, but take small steps - and keep at it. The aim is not to find someone to blame, but to improve together.
In the end, what counts most is openness - to yourself and to others. Those who dare to admit mistakes not only help themselves, but also the whole team. This is how a genuine error culture grows, which is more than just a nice slogan on the wall.