Efficient Sprint Planning: 10 Tips That Can Be A Real Gamechanger

Sprint Planning is one of the most significant elements of the Scrum Framework. Essentially, it’s a session, that’s held after the Sprint Retrospective and is deemed the first day of the next Sprint. Since better planning results in a substantially higher chance to reach the Sprint Goal, it’s a factor not to be neglected. 

Below we’ll share with you 10 tips to help you execute a successful Sprint Planning meeting. Let’s get started!

On The Way To Top-Notch Sprint Planning: 10 Golden Rules To Follow

Preparations

• Finish Backlog Refinement Prior To Planning
  Before the actual Sprint Planning would set off, the Product Owner should complete refining the Product Backlog, with special attention to User Stories. This is a major time-saver tactic, that allows the Team to focus on planning and determining the Sprint Goal during the meeting.
• Roadmapping And Creating An Agenda
  Important components to be reckoned with before the meeting, as they pave the way to a more organized workflow and serve as reference points to the Team.
• Ensuring That The Roadmap And Product Backlog Are In Harmony
  If the Product Roadmap and Backlog work in accordance with one another, the input to the planning session is considered optimized.
• The Sprint Planning Is Conducted By The Scrum Master
  The Scrum Master needs to take care of scheduling, proper communication, and all essential resources and tools in order to hold a professional meeting.

Related: Agile QuickTip: Use a Calendar to Make your Sprint Planning Meeting More Accurate

Aspects To Look Out For During The Sprint Planning

• Time And Duration
  Try to reserve the same time-box for your session each time to make sure that all Team Members are free in that time slot. Choose a suitable time based on people’s feedback and aim to schedule the meeting far in advance to avoid it being forgotten.

• Include Sprint Review Feedback From Stakeholders
  Gather all insights shared by stakeholders throughout the Sprint or during the Sprint Review and include their feedback into the Sprint Planning to deliver a better product.

• Determine The Sprint Goal
  At the end of the meeting the Team should decide about the Sprint Goal. According to The 2020 Scrum Guide, this is done by answering three vital questions: “What is our goal?”, “How are we going to achieve it?”, and “Why is this Sprint valuable?”.
  The Sprint Goal should neither be too simple nor overcomplicated: set it challenging and exciting enough to keep the Team motivated and engaged.

• Divide And Conquer
  The ancient saying proves to be very accurate when it comes to Sprint Planning. Aim to split up tasks into more manageable chunks to be able to keep track of processes better. Here’s an extra tip: it’s advisable to break down complex tasks into smaller subtasks that’s completion takes maximum a day.

• Avoid Undertaking Too Many Tasks At The Same Time
  Learn from previous Sprints and only take up as many tasks as rationally manageable within a certain time frame. Otherwise, you’ll only create confusion, disorientation, disorganization in the Team not to mention the greatest collateral damage: time loss.

• Stick With Your Sprint Goal
  After the Team made a decision about the goals, they must be kept intact. Naturally, the Team may run up against obstacles throughout the Sprint where alterations cannot be circumvented. In such a situation each member should accept the need for change and move forward together. To prevent delays and confusion, aim not to modify the Sprint Goal mid-way.