Chapter 2: Getting Started

We spend time at the start of a workshop session building connections and getting people to bond with each other and us. This immediately increases the level of trust in the room. If you are running a 90 minute workshop with people who all work together, you don’t need to spend as much time on this. In that case we might only do the Jenga Game in C4. If you are doing a full day session with people who don’t know each other well, we’d recommend following the full plan below.

4Cs Training plan

FastPass (C1)

We start with Fast Pass posters. Ask everyone to form pairs and together write up one sticky note for each of the posters. The posters we chose for this workshop is “If testing was a sport - what would it be?” and “What does testing mean to you?”. This allows for participants to instantly identify with the topic and for us to get a better understanding of their mindset around testing.

The posters are usually flipchart sheets with a question written on them in bright colours. You can see an example of these posters on the slide below.

Slide

Introductions (C2)

Simply introduce yourself by saying who you are and what your experience is. Don’t bore people - keep it short and entertaining. Our names, Twitter handles and company website are shown on a slide (see below). If you are doing this training in house with people you know, this slide might not be needed. Perhaps instead share something people might not know about you. You probably also want to mention the goal of the workshop, and why you are there.

Slide

Agreements

Next go through some Agreements (like rules, but we don’t like that word - too formal). For example: “Please put cellphones on silent, but feel free to leave the room if you need to take a call”. This helps to set the tone for the workshop. It also allows everyone to understand the boundaries of behaviour that are expected for the duration of the workshop. The Agreement cards in the Coach Toolkit will help you remember things to mentioned. Pick the cards most appropriate for the workshop and run through each of them quickly.

Agenda

Briefly go through the agenda for the day. Most people want to know at a high level what will be covered, and most importantly when the breaks and lunch are, and what time they will finish. We put this information up on a slide, and explain that the times are approximate, although we should be within 10 minutes of them at all times.

Form groups (C3)

Ask the class to form groups of five to six people with a mix of people in each group. Encourage them to rather mix up companies or teams if possible. Once people have formed groups ask them to introduce themselves to everyone in their group.

Jenga Game (C4)

In order to illustrate some testing mindset shifts we play a little game. This is a fun and light hearted way to get people thinking differently about testing and what is possible. Introduce the Jenga game and then play it with the class.