Sprint Planning

Problem

Try This

Sprint Planning goes too long

Have the ScrumMaster timebox the discussions about each Product Backlog Item. As a team, select an arbitrary number of minutes, like 7, as a maximum amount of time to discuss each PBI. At the end of the 7 minutes, if the team isn’t done discussing, proceed with a Roman Vote on an extension of 2 or 3 minutes. Don’t go over 10 minutes per PBI.

Sprint Planning doesn’t go long enough

Try the solution for “Sprint Planning goes too long“. If that doesn’t work, fill the remaining meeting time with Product Backlog Refinement.

The right people are not in the room for the Sprint Planning meeting

It is ultimately the Scrum Team’s responsibility to invite the people needed, in order to add clarity to Product Backlog Items that still don’t have the necessary level of detail. If the right people are being invited, but are not showing up, the Scrum Team should have an honest discussion with them to describe the need for having them in the room for Planning. If the right people are not being invited, simply invite them. Ideally, the entire Scrum Team, plus any Subject Matter Experts, or people that can provide more detail, should be present for Sprint Planning.

We never get anything done in Sprint Planning

Sprint Planning should be a very productive meeting. A Sprint cannot start without the Scrum Team deciding what to work on for a specific Sprint, so, it’s difficult to believe that a Team would never get anything done. That being said, if the Team is simply talking about Product Backlog Items and not making a commitment to try their best to complete selected PBI’s for the next Sprint, then the ScrumMaster should revert back to the basis of their responsibilities. The SM is responsible for training the Scrum Team on Scrum and coaching them through the process.

There are too many people in the Sprint Planning meeting