The Psychology of Quality - The Quiet Work

When people ask what I do, I usually say I build automation frameworks — or that I build quality systems.

But most days, it feels more like I’m studying human behavior. It starts in conversations — in understanding what drives people, what pressures them, and why certain corners get cut.

The hardest bugs I’ve ever seen didn’t come from bad code. They came from assumptions, from hurry, from the “it’s probably fine” mindset — and from that tiny voice that hopes no one looks too closely.

It’s that little cognitive devil on our shoulder — the one that stops us from really testing our work, that resists change, or that whispers we’re too confident to double-check.

The Myth of QA Owning Quality

One of the biggest misconceptions I’ve seen in startups is the idea that QA owns quality.

It sounds flattering — almost empowering — but it’s actually a trap.

When you tell a team “QA owns quality,” what they hear is “QA will catch it.” Or, “If we missed anything, that's our fault”.

And the moment that mindset settles in, you’ve already lost something important: shared responsibility.

Quality stops being part of the creative process and becomes an inspection step. People start to move faster, but not necessarily better. They code to pass checks, not to build confidence in the whole product.

The truth is, QA can’t “own” quality any more than security can “own” safety.

We can guide it, at times measure it, influence it, build tools to support it — but it has to live in everyone’s decisions.

That’s why the most important part of my work isn’t about enforcing rules. It’s about helping people care.

Listening Before Talking: Influence Over Authority

The funny thing about building a “quality culture” is that you can’t build it by talking (about quality). You start building it by listening.

Every team has its own reasons for cutting corners.

Deadlines, pressure, fatigue, ego — sometimes there is even a will, but lack of tools, skillset or enabling environment. And, before I try to change anything, I try to understand those reasons.

When someone pushes back on testing or reviews, I don’t start with arguments.

I start with curiosity because influence starts when people feel heard.

Once they trust that you’re not there to slow them down, pass judgment or ping pong-blame but to protect what we are building, they start meeting you halfway — and eventually, leading the quality conversation themselves. It’s slow. It’s subtle. But it’s the only way it lasts.

The Shift: From “QA’s Problem” to “Our Product”

Culture doesn’t change overnight. It happens one conversation, one decision, one small win at a time.

The first sign is subtle — someone asks you for feedback before a code review.

Then another person adds a test “just to be safe,” without being asked.

Soon enough, quality isn’t a checklist anymore — it’s part of how people think.

The goal was never to take ownership away from QA — it was to make quality a shared reflex.

A way of thinking that travels with every pull request, design decision, and commit message.

And it’s in those moments — quiet, almost invisible — that you realize you didn’t just build a framework.

You built a culture.

The Quiet Work: Listening to What Makes People Tick

Over time, I’ve learned that quality leadership is really about understanding people — what drives them, what frustrates them, and what they care about when nobody’s watching.

Every person in the company has their own language.

For some, it’s data.

For others, it’s pride, speed, control, or even recognition. And, if you want to influence how people think about quality, you have to understand what makes each one tick.

That’s how you know when to challenge, when to support, and when to just listen.

It’s also how you decide which actions actually fit the culture you’re in.

The same message that motivates one team might shut another down completely.

So instead of trying to “fix the mindset,” I start by tuning into it.

Only then can you adapt — not with manipulation, but with precision.

That’s the part of the job nobody sees.

You’re constantly observing, adjusting, choosing your battles, and finding the human leverage points that quietly shape how quality happens.

Adapting Actions to the Environment

What works in one company might completely fail in another.

Some teams respond to data and dashboards.

Others need stories, near misses, tools, hand holding, production scares, or user feedback that reminds them why quality matters.

You can't make change through processes. You create it through relationships.

The trick is to pick the battles that fit the culture you’re in — and introduce just enough friction to make people act, not rebel.

And the better you understand the human map of your organization, the more precise your moves become.

Bottom line, you can’t copy-paste culture. You have to grow it. And the sooner you realize that there’s no single playbook for quality - the easier it would be for everyone.