Communication in QA teams is more than just exchanging information. It’s a space where the same interaction patterns play out every day—often with surprisingly dramatic results. Psychologist Eric Berne called these patterns “games.” Not games in the fun sense, but recurring behaviors that lead to predictable—and usually negative—outcomes.
Dismissed bug reports, defensive reactions to feedback, endless requirement clarifications, constant conflicts on calls.
Sound familiar?
Everyone plays a role, but the outcome is often predictable: people get frustrated, communication suffers, and so does product quality.
But what if, instead of fighting these patterns, we flipped the approach and used games consciously?
In this talk, we’ll explore several game-based exercises that work as soft-skills training. We’ll look at where meaning gets lost, how to ask better questions, and how to explain complex things in simple terms.