In tomorrow’s sprint planning meeting, we’ll be reviewing a prioritized backlog of items that each have a title and high-level description provided by a business subject matter expert (SME). We’re aiming for a concise, timely session focused on T-shirt sizing and determining the workload that can realistically fit within the sprint. This article provides a structured approach to streamline the planning process, ensuring productive discussions and effective decisions without unnecessary delays. Additionally, it highlights three essential clarifying questions to ask for fleshing out new stories. These strategies will help us keep our sprint planning efficient and goal-focused.
Practical Example: The day before sprint planning, you email the team a link to the prioritized backlog items, along with a brief summary of each. The email includes a reminder for team members to review the stories, consider potential T-shirt sizes, and note any initial questions. This step ensures that everyone enters the meeting well-prepared to discuss items right away, minimizing downtime.
Practical Example: At the start of the sprint planning, you set clear goals, such as, 'This sprint, we want to enhance the user onboarding experience and address any critical bugs related to the login process.' By defining these goals, the team can align their efforts on what the sprint is primarily aiming to achieve, which helps in prioritizing stories that are directly tied to these goals. This approach prevents the discussion from drifting and keeps the meeting focused.
Practical Example: When a story is reviewed, set a three-minute timer for T-shirt sizing. You quickly go around the room, allowing each person to give their estimate as 'S,' 'M,' or 'L' without getting into extensive discussion. If most estimates are similar, you record that size and move on. If there’s a significant variance, allow a brief discussion to understand differing perspectives before reaching a final consensus. This practice helps maintain the pace, preventing any single story from dominating the time.
Practical Example: As you review each story, ask quick clarifying questions such as, 'What’s the primary goal of this feature?' and 'Are there specific cases we should test?' These questions help team members understand the essence of each story without diving into excessive detail. Jot down any follow-up tasks and defer them to after the meeting to maintain the pace and keep discussions relevant to sizing and sprint feasibility.
Practical Example: Once each story has a T-shirt size, review the team’s sprint capacity by considering any upcoming holidays, vacations, and incomplete work from the previous sprint. With this information in mind, tally the estimated story sizes and see if they fit within your team’s capacity. For example, if the team’s capacity allows for around 8 'S' stories and you currently have 10, collaboratively decide on which two items could be deferred until the next sprint, ensuring a manageable workload.
An efficient sprint planning session can set a positive, productive tone for the entire sprint. By focusing on preparation, aligning with clear sprint goals, timeboxing T-shirt sizing, clarifying requirements without overextending discuss