Backlog Grooming - Agile Coach (2019)

Summary

At Atlassian, a streamlined three-step sprint planning process enhances team productivity. The first step, backlog grooming, involves a pre-meeting with the product owner and scrum master to clarify tasks and fill information gaps, making the actual planning session more efficient. This approach minimizes surprises and ensures higher quality code by allowing developers to focus on actionable items. By effectively triaging issues beforehand, teams can maximize their sprint planning effectiveness and tackle work without unnecessary delays, leading to improved execution and collaboration.

Takeaways

• 😀 Atlassian has developed a three-step sprint planning process that enhances team efficiency.
• 📅 The first step is the backlog grooming meeting, essential for preparing tasks before sprint planning.
• 👥 Developers may be excused from the backlog grooming meeting, but their input can improve productivity.
• ⏰ The backlog grooming should last at least 30 minutes to effectively triage upcoming issues.
• 🔍 Backlog grooming helps identify items that lack detail or require additional information from the product owner.
• 🚀 The second step of the process is the actual planning session where work for the upcoming sprint is finalized.
• 📝 The third step involves creating initial action items to kick off the sprint.
• 📈 Sprint planning aims to focus execution, minimize surprises, and ensure higher quality code.
• 🔄 Addressing issues during backlog grooming prevents blockers during the sprint planning meeting.
• 👩‍💻 A successful sprint planning process improves collaboration and overall project management.

Q & A

What is the first step in Atlassian's sprint planning process?

The first step is the backlog grooming meeting.

Why do developers often cringe at the backlog grooming meeting?

Developers may cringe because it involves holding a meeting before the actual sprint planning session.

Who is required to attend the backlog grooming meeting?

Attendance is optional for the full development team, but at least the product owner and scrum master should be present.

What is the purpose of the backlog grooming meeting?

The purpose is to triage issues and prepare for the upcoming sprint, ensuring that the planning session is more productive.

How long should the backlog grooming meeting typically last?

You should allocate at least 30 minutes for the backlog grooming meeting.

What happens during the backlog grooming meeting?

During this meeting, the team identifies items that may lack sufficient detail or require more information from the product owner.

What is the benefit of grooming the backlog in advance?

Grooming the backlog in advance helps fill in any gaps and reduces the risk of blockers or time-wasting during the actual sprint planning meeting.

What are the two key tasks involved in sprint planning?

The two key tasks are grooming the backlog and deciding which work to complete in the upcoming sprint.

What is the overall goal of sprint planning according to Atlassian?

The overall goal is to focus execution, minimize surprises, and guarantee higher quality code.

What should teams do if they identify issues that need more detail during grooming?

They should resolve those gaps between meetings to ensure a smoother sprint planning session.