Exploring the Benefits of Double Sprint Planning Sessions
Written on
Understanding the Need for Flexibility
Navigating uncertainty is crucial for agile teams, as new insights and learnings often require a pivot in approach. This adaptability is at the heart of Agility—responding effectively to change. Technical professionals sometimes find themselves resistant to altering their course. An article I recently encountered highlights several reasons behind this hesitance. Since the challenges that lie ahead are often unclear, initial planning becomes essential to set the stage for progress.
The Role of Sprint Planning
The Sprint Planning event exemplifies this principle. Like other Scrum events, it fosters transparency and creates opportunities for teams to review and adjust their Scrum artifacts. According to the Scrum Guide, failing to conduct these events as intended leads to missed chances for inspection and adaptation. While each Scrum event is mandated to occur at least once per Sprint, one might wonder if conducting more than one is beneficial.
Maximizing the Timebox
Consider this scenario: Scrum Teams thrive when they have several Product Backlog Items (PBIs) 'ready for development.' This means that enough information is available for the team to start working confidently on these items during the Sprint.
What happens if the necessary information is lacking after the initial planning? Would the team simply wait for direction? It’s unlikely, even if it sounds humorous.
A second Sprint Planning session could prove advantageous. The maximum time allocated for Sprint Planning is eight hours for a full month Sprint, though it’s typically shorter for shorter Sprints. If the team utilizes four hours for the initial planning, they technically retain four hours for an additional session.
Clarifying Backlog Refinement
You might be thinking, "Isn't this just the same as backlog refinement?" The answer is partially yes. Backlog refinement often overlaps with Sprint Planning, as it involves detailing, estimating, and organizing a selection of PBIs for the Developers to pull into the Sprint.
Sprint Planning revolves around three key questions:
- Why is this Sprint valuable?
- What can be accomplished during this Sprint?
- How will the selected tasks be completed?
The first question would have been addressed in the initial planning, so this second session can focus solely on the remaining work. For instance, if the team is halfway through a two-week Sprint and realizes they have less work than anticipated, they can reassess what can be accomplished in the remaining week and strategize how to achieve it.
In addition to preparing PBIs, a second session allows for the validation of interdependent hypotheses. If the outcome of an initial hypothesis necessitates a change in planning, this flexibility is crucial.
Considering Shorter Sprints
Another option could be to shorten your Sprints. The decision on Sprint length hinges on various factors, such as the risk of obsolescence for the Sprint Goal, stakeholder engagement, technological readiness, and the complexity of the tasks.
If engaging key stakeholders during weekly Sprint Reviews proves challenging, longer Sprints may be beneficial. However, it’s worth exploring other methods to involve them more frequently.
I once worked with a team that struggled to involve the right stakeholders during single-week Sprint Reviews. According to the Scrum Guide, an Increment is recognized the moment a PBI meets the Definition of Done. They managed to push small Increments to live environments continuously, but gathering feedback from stakeholders was a challenge. They found it difficult to make reliable forecasts for two weeks and gather necessary information.
After several discussions in Sprint Retrospectives, we decided to experiment with two Sprint Planning events. This approach significantly improved information gathering while allowing progress toward the Sprint Goal. Notably, the team spent the same time on planning, but instead of doing it all at once, they created more opportunities for inspection and adaptation mid-Sprint.
Conclusion
While conducting multiple Sprint Planning sessions may seem cumbersome, neglecting them can lead to a loss of focus and missed opportunities for adaptation. There is nothing preventing you from holding these sessions more than once if it helps minimize risk and deliver value. As this discussion illustrates, the necessity for additional planning sessions depends on several factors, and the Scrum Guide does not prohibit this practice.
Have you encountered any unconventional approaches during your Sprints that facilitated delivering a 'Done' Increment?
The first video, How Long Should A Sprint Be, explores the optimal duration for Sprints and how it impacts project outcomes. It provides insights into balancing flexibility with effective planning.
In the second video, Running a Scrum Sprint STEP-BY-STEP | Practical Guide to Sprints in Scrum, viewers can learn practical strategies for executing Sprints effectively and managing team dynamics.