1. why do people react to change the way they do and how to deal with change and implement it correctly

I am originally from Iceland and now I am a Test Manager in SopraSteria Norway where I work as a consultant. I have worked with software testing for almost 6 years and have been a tester and a test coordinator as well. I have worked within various corners of public sector as well as private sector, and I have been a public speaker for two year.

As a consultant I am presented with more challenges then just managing test when sent out to a new costumer. I am often hired to implement test in organizations and teach people about tools and test techniques and how to use them. This is not as easy as one might think, as a Test Manager I see how it might benefit the company and save them money, but on the other hand I have employees who only see new things to learn, time taken from other tasks and changes in how they will work from now on.
Almost a year ago I was presented with my toughest challenge yet, engineers. My task was to implement a testing tool that would replace excel sheets that they had used for years and nothing worked, not even giving them a cake did. After almost being eaten alive at one of the meetings I had to rethink my strategy, how was I supposed to get these people on my side?
I had just started studying management and presented my problem to my professor who pointed out some books for me to read. All of them were about psychology and it was in those books that I got all my answers. There was a perfectly rational (and psychological) reason for them not wanting to learn new ways to test ore learn yet another tool to use, and it all boiled down to one thing, peoples reluctance to change. I didn’t just learn why people don’t like change, I also learned how to handle change correctly. Had I known the things I know now, before meeting the group of engineers I would have done things differently and I believe I would have been more successful.
That is why I would like to share what I learned with you and everyone at UK Star because I know I am not the only one that is presented with a problem when it comes to implementing change connected to testing and quality.