Business · 13 records · for a shared workspaceRun a sprint

A sprint without a goal is a fortnight of tickets. This starts from what the sprint is for, keeps the commitment small enough to be credible, and treats the retrospective as the part that actually compounds.

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Goal

A fortnight that moved one thing Week 2

A goal, not a ticket list. Judged on whether the goal was met.

Plan it Day 3

A goal first, then the work that serves it.

  • Write the sprint goal in one sentenceDo firstDay 1
  • Pick only the work that serves itDo firstDay 2
  • Cut the commitment until it is credibleDay 3

Run and review Week 2

The retro is the part that compounds.

  • Mid-sprint check: is the goal still reachable?Do firstDay 7
  • Review against the goal, not the ticketsDo firstDay 13
  • Change exactly one thing for next sprintDo firstWeek 2

Routines

  • Stand-updaily
  • Update the board honestlydaily
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Dates you will not have to remember

Sprint review

Day 1314:0060 min
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A goal, not a list

If the goal is only to finish these tickets, there is nothing to prioritise against when the fortnight goes wrong, which it usually does.\n\nCommit to less than feels right. A sprint that always overruns teaches everybody the commitment is decorative, which removes the point of having one.\n\nChange one thing after the retro and check next time whether it helped. Ten observations and no change is where the ritual dies.

Questions

Run a sprint, answered.

One sentence about what will be true at the end that is not true now. If the goal is only "finish these tickets" then there is nothing to prioritise against when the fortnight goes wrong, which it usually does.
Less than feels right. A sprint that finishes early is useful information and a pleasant surprise; one that always overruns teaches everybody to treat the commitment as decorative, which removes the point of having one.
Changing exactly one thing and checking next time whether it helped. A retro that produces a list of ten observations and no change is where the ritual quietly dies.
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