Emel Yayla Yavuz - Agile Coach // Allianz Türkiye
Planning is always important, but if you are in agile working environment, its importance increases several times. Beware of the slightest mistake you make here, thus it can complicate things.
Our beloved Confucius once said: "Success depends on previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be failure." Thousands of years have passed since this statement, but the situation is the same. Preparation is one of the factors that affect the result in every job.
Planning is also the most critical component of preparation. A mistake made here can complicate things.
In HEY!, when the number of unfinished "stories" is high as we approach the end of the sprint, or when we fall behind our goals, we always think that our planning should be better, and we talk about how we can be better for the next one. But how are we going to do this?
Let's take a journey towards the intricacies of the art of planning.
I asked a group that has experienced agile working with "Scrum" for a long time, including Agile Coach, Product Owner and team members, "What is required for an efficient planning?"
Common responses were as follows:
- The goal must be clear.
- Priorities should be well established.
- Comprehensive preparation should be made.
- Time and capacity management should be realistic.
- The whole team should be involved in the planning and should focus on the issue in hand.
- Attention should be paid to the timing of the planning session.
- The whole team should agree on the work to be done in the sprint.
Let's move forward by detailing the answers.
Generally, it is vital that the entire team knows and internalizes the goal of the team it is a member of and the organization it is in, and reconciles them with the sprint goals.
A sprint that starts with a well-prioritized backlog increases the value created. It also provides the right management of time and effort.
For each sprint, it is essential to prepare a work list that fits our target, considering customer needs, the value to be created for them, market dynamics and product features.
Detailing the tasks to be included in the sprint task list is a critical element in ensuring that the whole team knows what to do in that sprint and thus reaches the goal. Good preparation makes this easier.
The dependencies of the work to be done must be known and solved. For this, it is important to agree on a joint plan with the stakeholders we will work with. Our experience also shows that many of the jobs we could not complete are due to various dependencies.
As well as the content of the planning meeting, the time we allocate for it is one of the important factors affecting the quality of our outputs. Remember, if the sprint backlog isn't mature, that meeting isn't going to produce a productive result.
When starting to plan, it is important to be aware of the team's availability of time, time off, training, or if a member is working in more than one Squad. Clarity here also clarifies the path to the goal. A piece of advice: When planning capacity, don't plan as if you're not going to read any articles, spend time doing research, or have coffee with your friends, even online.
Another important point of efficient planning is the contribution of the whole team to this process. The only condition is not to be here physically, but to be included in the planning mentally.
Finally, at the end of the planning, the whole team should agree on the sprint task list. This provides high motivation for ownership and completing work within the sprint time.
Remember, planning is an important art. And the more successful you are in this art, the more effortlessly you will reach your goals.
P.S. You can contact us by clicking here to share your experiences and ask questions about the agile working method.
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