Inspired by Executable Design
A post on “Executable Design” from Chris Sterling inspired me today. I’ve started running TDD workshops with the teams that I work with. It’s one of the most challenging things I’ve done in a while. Part of the challenge lies in exercising my technical skills – nothing exposes you to a group like coaching directly on coding techniques. Developers can smell your fear…
However I find that technical issues aside, acceptance of TDD lies in doing a lot of listening. And I mean a LOT of listening. As Chris states so eloquently, TDD is not a silver bullet that should always be used regardless of the circumstances. When someone is objecting to using TDD, there is often a darn good reason for it. Sometimes they just fear change, but as often as not, I find that people have realistic concerns about the appropriateness of using TDD in the particular environment they work in. Ignore them at your own peril.
Most of the time people understand the merits of TDD quite quickly – let’s face it, it’s really quite simple: Test. Code. Refactor. Repeat.
The merits of the process are not what people usually have problem with. Usually they are envisioning what happens when they try to apply it to the environment they are currently working in. That’s where the rubber meets the road. You have to be willing to listen to them, take their reservations seriously, and venture into the dragon’s lair (the environment they work in) to understand what they are dealing with. It’s very hand’s on. Very messy. Fraught with challenges.
Very quickly you can discover that TDD is not an all or nothing proposition. If people feel like you hear and understand their reservations and concerns, then they will probably be willing to follow you down a path toward some sort of adoption – if there is measurable benefit. They may be willing to explore a variety of useful but perhaps imperfect solutions. On the other hand, if you are just regurgitating the benefits of TDD and dismissing fears…well, I’ve tried it and not had much success.