For agile and DevOps, an understanding of the role of data analysis in the test strategy is helping teams accelerate development, testing, and deployments. As we continue to enhance our testing effectiveness, data analytics skills are an important dimension in managing risks in a “continuous everything” world.

With DevOps becoming the norm, we're entering a world of pipelines. With frequent or continuous deployments, streamlining and automating the process of building, configuring, testing, and releasing developed software components becomes a high priority—with testing posing its own unique set of challenges.

Leaders who are moving into a new position should hold what’s called a listening tour. This lets the person doing the touring hear what’s on the minds of subordinates or team members. It helps a new leader get the lay of the land while also allowing the people they’ll be leading to express their thoughts or concerns.