Clare Norman
Clare Norman
Senior quality coach
she/her
Passionate about the human side of software: the people who build it as much as the people who use it. I believe great products come from great collaboration, and I love facilitating the kind of conversations that turn complexity into clarity. My focus is on making software that's inclusive for everyone. I believe software shouldn't just be functional, but joyful too. Here are some more words it's 404
🎂 MoTaBirthday | June 17, 2021
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Meet at MoTaCon 2026
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Podcasting
CV Reviews
Review Conference Proposals
Thought I'd try an experiment. Let's look at the talk and workshop descriptions of MoTaCon 2026 and share my thoughts and reflections before the talk/workshop has happened. And then, hopefully, sha...
10 Aug
On the 15th of January 2026 myself and Ujjwal Kumar Singh joined a call and pressed record. We were curious to see what would happen. A few weeks later I’d done the same with Neil Taylor and Clare ...
6 Jul
Inspired by Clare Norman's recent lightning learning sessions. A speaker pulled out last minute so a developer stepped in to share what they've been working on. While Clare pointed out that it's no...
29 May
Reflections of Clare Norman's take on workshops during TWiQ. Goals are important when running a workshop yet the way you get there is different to a meeting. People show up and participat...
29 May
Judy and Clare trade spicy hot takes, from notification overload and 'done > perfect' learning, to a passionate deep dive on accessibility as a moral (and business) imperative.
29 May
A hot-takes episode where the crew debates AI skepticism, manual testing’s staying power, whether AI agents really speed delivery, and why quality ultimately lives (or dies) with leadership decisions.
24 Apr
Facilitation
Facilitation is the skill of guiding a group through a conversation, activity, or decision‑making process so they can achieve their goals effectively and collaboratively. It involves intentionally creating an environment where every person feels able to express their thoughts, ensuring psychological safety, keeping discussions focused, and inviting every voice into the space. As a facilitator, a key question is: Have I created a space where you feel able to express yourself?Why facilitation mattersFacilitation is a vital skill for a quality coach because I believe a big part of the role centres on bringing the right people together at the right time. But simply gathering the group isn’t enough; the value comes from how the conversation is held.Facilitation is the activation of the people in the room: enabling them to contribute, think critically together, and surface insights that would be missed without a well facilitated discussion.When facilitation is weak, meetings can be dominated by a few voices, wander off‑topic, or fail to reach clarity and with that, opportunities to improve quality are lost. But when facilitation is strong, it ensures:
Every voice is heard, including quieter or less confident perspectives.
Psychological safety is established, so people feel able to raise risks as well as ideas.
The discussion stays focused on the purpose.
The team makes better decisions, drawing on their collective intelligence.
For anyone working in the quality community, I believe facilitation is foundational. It transforms a group of individuals into a collaborative problem‑solving team.
Fizzy minds
A fizzy mind is when your thoughts bubble and spark like your favourite carbonated drink. You may feel that you are overflowing with energy and imagination. It often happens in the midst of lively conversation with peers, where each person’s perspective collides with another, igniting fresh insights. One idea fizzes into the next, cascading into a chain reaction of creativity until your mind feels carbonated, sparkling and joyfully alive with possibility.
Quality Coaching
My goal as a quality coach is to be the person who is the cause of good testing and quality practices in my team without doing much of the testing by myself. So I work as an embedded tester in a team where I try to advocate for early and continuous testing.
Comments
(2)
Do more of what makes you feel privileged to be here.
"comfort as an ally" is a lovely turn of phrase
2026 Goal - Self Reflection
I love the concept of small daily goals rather than bigger perhaps more overwhelming goals!
Thanks for your contribution
Thoughts before MoTaCon: make it joyful
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