What’s a sprint planning meeting?
A sprint is a set period of time where work is done over a prolonged period of time - typically 2 to 4 weeks in duration. Each sprint begins with a sprint planning meeting to define goals, set an agenda and focus on how it will all be accomplished.
A great sprint planning meeting provides structure, sets expectations, and defines clear outcomes that help everyone on the team feel motivated and successful.
Why is sprint planning important?
Sprints can make or break your team. They provide the foundation for your process and help you reach project milestones. Use our sprint planning meeting template to provide structure and set expectations for your team. Our template will help you define goals and your POA!
How does a sprint planning meeting work…
Step #1: Review the sprint backlog (15 mins)
Continue your sprint planning meeting by following up on any open questions from the previous sprint. Review the points and use our Whiteboard to record what was completed and what needs to carry over to the new sprint. Once you review what was achieved, you’ll be ready to present the current sprint’s goals.
Dive’s Pro Meeting Tip: The product backlog is a crucial component of sprint planning, so it’s important that it reflects the most up-to-date information.
Step #2: Decide the goal of the sprint (15 mins)
As a team, decide what you’re going to accomplish over the course of the sprint. Use this template to align your team on the sprint’s theme and goals. Make sure you include all the definitions and guidelines your team needs to work efficiently during the sprint.
Dive’s Pro Meeting Tip: Your goal should be short and crisp ( 2 sentences max). It should clearly describe what the team is trying to accomplish and by when. Ensure that the goal is written together, as a team, and then published so that everyone can refer to it.
Step #3: List out the deliverables (15 mins)
Before your team can start working, you need to present your team’s deliverables. Include links to reports and other important documents to the template. This helps people understand everyone's contributions and how much work they can complete during the sprint.
Step #4: Revisit the scope of work (15 mins)
Review each team member’s capacity as you plan and prioritise sprint tasks and goals. You can also use our template to record and follow up on any potential risk. That way you’ll have everything you need in one place to prepare for the upcoming sprint.
Step #5: Discuss key risks and concerns. (15 mins)
Ask these questions to the team: What potential issues could come up based on the sprint goal and backlog? How can we collectively solve them? Does the scope of work allot enough time for unexpected delays?
Step #6: Follow up! (15 mins)
Get confirmation from each team member about the next steps to be taken. Clarify who's adding them to their action items and when they should be done by.
Dive’s Pro Meeting Tip: Use Dive’s recap email to send out individual notes and action items at the end of a meeting.
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