Because software testers spend usually most of their time working closely with programmers in developing requested system features or fixing reported issues, they often become spokespersons of their respective teams. It’s not written in the job description as a rule but it is part of the job itself: day to day work includes giving the right information to people who ask, not only testing. The head developer needs the status of the current project, the software tester tells him where exactly the team is right now. The product manager asks if the bug fixes are ready for release as scheduled, the software tester answers confidently with a yes or no (and provides a reason for why not).
The software tester then needs to be aware of what her developers are currently working on, what tasks have been finished and are ready for testing, what stories are yet to be started and which are all set for a release. She’s always on her toes about what’s going on. She knows when her team is ecstatic or exhausted. She usually realizes early on what problems need to be addressed. The amount of information on hand may be overwhelming to her at times but she must be able to sort them all properly because it’s her responsibility to provide the right facts.
One Software Tester 