Work can be frustrating, and having everything you need to be able to do your job can be a challenge. I’ve had users that I need for testing removed, databases refreshed and the data I needed to use for testing, such as transactions, cleared out so I have nothing to test with. All of those are blockers – those are things that are blocking me from completing my testing, and therefore from us releasing.

A blocker is something that gets in the way of you doing your job, preventing you from testing and delivering what is needed. How this is handled depends on where you work – some places will have a scrum master you tell if you’re blocked, and they are supposed to facilitate the conversations and such to unblock you. Other places, you just speak to a PM, or to your boss, or unblock yourself. I’ve honestly worked in places where all of those approaches have been used, and I still prefer to try and unblock myself.

I am a go getter, and I just like to take care of things that I can. I don’t believe in “throwing things over the wall”, or the it’s not my job mentality. So, while it might not always be my job to unblock myself, or others, I’ll do what I can, ask questions on what I don’t know or understand, and ask for help when needed.