We should all just be professionals and do our jobs, right? There's no need for fun at work as long as everyone comes in and does their hours, right? As long as we have our processes to cover the work needed, we're good, right? Wrong! Kristoffer Nordström will show you why we need to have fun at work, why simply following the processes isn't always right, and, yes, why we sometimes need to bend the rules just a little to get things done. New research and insights into humanistic approaches have illuminated concepts such as grit and drive, which attempt to explain what motivates people. We've known as far back as the ’70s that putting people first and focusing on soft values and the culture of the company bring long-term rewards. So why is this still not the norm? Software development is a social activity, so we must stop thinking about it as an industrial process. We can all do so much more for our teams and for ourselves, so come learn how a focus on fun can get you where you want to go—while enjoying the journey.
Kristoffer Nordström is a test developer who has worked with telecommunications systems, distributed compilers, cloud technology, smartphone OS development, embedded systems, and much more. As a testing devotee and a member of the context-driven test community, with his own company Kristoffer consults and teaches the course Python for Testers because he believes in tools-assisted sapient testing. Over the years he has seen the immense value of testers learning how to distill large amounts of information into the so-called “big picture,” and he advocates for learning the soft skills necessary to collaborate with the people making up the organization. Apart from being an avid software tester, Kristoffer is also a long-distance runner, sci-fi reader, and amateur cancer researcher.