TL; DR: Ignoring the capacity test during sprint planning
There are many options for failure with Scrum. Since Scrum is an intentionally incomplete framework with a “reasonable but short guide”, this effect should not surprise anyone. For example, developers ignore a capacity test during sprint planning, and as a result, the Scrum team creates a sprint target that is apparently unattainable.
Join me and delve into the effects of this confidence-building practice in less than 80 seconds.
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Scrum Guide for Capacity Planning
Let’s refresh our memories about sprint planning, capacity testing and how much work may be done:
Second topic: What can be done in this sprint?
Through a discussion with the product owner, the developers select items from the product backlog to include in the current sprint. The Scrum team may refine these items during this process, which increases understanding and confidence.
Choosing how much can be completed within a sprint can be challenging. However, the more the developers know about their past performance, their immediate ability and their finish setting, the more confident they will be in their sprint predictions.
source: Scrum Guide on the Scrum Team.
Unsurprisingly, the Scrum Guide points to the benefits of Scrum teams knowing their ability in the upcoming sprint. However, because Scrum teams are self-managed and include people with ability, the Scrum Guide does not require an ability test to become part of Sprint planning.
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The effects of ignoring capacity testing during sprint planning
The problem: Before planning the sprint, the developers were unable to identify their ability for the upcoming sprint, which resulted in a less informed creation of the sprint target. There are various reasons why the ability of the Scrum team is not constant but very volatile, for example:
- Public holidays fall into the sprint period
- Staff members are on sick leave
- Team members take personal freedom
- Experienced team members have left the Scrum team
- New team members must be joined
- Life interferes unexpectedly, for example, in the form of food poisoning that causes Tiramisu.
The consequences: The consequences of not recognizing the available ability can lead to an overly cautious approach in creating sprint goals – better safe than sorry, right? (Speaking of which, everyone will pay attention to this approach, and it will not work in favor of the team.) Alternatively, the Scrum team may be too ambitious in setting a sprint goal and will likely disappoint stakeholders by not delivering accordingly. (Given the importance of trust and the fact that regularly providing valuable additions is the best way to create trust between stakeholders, the result of the latter is far from trivial).
the solution: Spend five minutes during sprint planning and create a common understanding of who will be available when. Risk reduction for Scrum teams has never been easier.
Ignoring the capacity test during sprint planning – Conclusion
Lack of permanent compliance, over-commitment, failure to achieve the sprint goal, creating a leak – all this sends a false signal to stakeholders. If these patterns are manifested on a regular basis, they will cause a massive trust issue that is very likely to hurt your team’s collaboration with its stakeholders. Please remember: Reliable supply of valuable add-ons is the number 1 request from stakeholders. Do not expose your Scrum team to damage out of stupidity alone.
Does your Scrum team also ignore capacity testing during sprint planning? Please share with us your learning in the comments.
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