Focus and Sprint Goal — Panda Story — Episode #04
By: Rene Schroeder
Tags: Scrum, Focus, Sprint Goal, Scrum Master, Leadership

Ray was a little disappointed after the estimation with the team that his desired Product Backlog Items probably couldn’t be achieved in the sprint. In such a case it would be fine for him to extend the sprint to achieve the scope in question. Ray would like to use the break to get a coffee and ask Howard for his opinion about the sprint extension. Howard is also at the coffee machine as he has already suspected that Ray wants to talk to him.

Ray explains to Howard again how important it is that the PBIs are all implemented in the Sprint so that the product is satisfactory for him. Howard lets Ray explain his point of view.

Ray: “Howard, thank you for your explanations during the last retrospective, my task has become much clearer to me now. I want to maximize the value of the product in the next sprint, so yesterday evening, after the review, I wrote the PBIs just presented.”

Howard: “The PBIs were well received by the team, I heard that. Together we were able to sharpen them up, develop acceptance criteria and estimate them. Now it is up to the team to decide how many of these can be realistically implemented during the sprint”.

Ray: “Of course I understand, that the team has to decide, how much they can achieve during the sprint, they are the experts and developers. Therefore I thought we could extend the sprint, it is quite short anyway and we could extend it to four weeks, just this one time”.

Howard: “I can understand your wish. But before I answer that, please tell me how much the feedback from stakeholders surprised you yesterday. I found it a very valuable input for the new PBIs. I am sure it helped you to take the product to the next level.

Ray: <thinks for a moment> “It was very surprising, I hadn’t thought in that direction at all, with the current PBIs I hope of course, that I have taken the right direction.

Howard: “The feedback was valuable, I agree. How often would you like to have it?

Ray: “I think more often is better at this stage of the product.

Howard: “If we extend the sprint, the feedback will be less, because we as a team can present less often.

Ray: “Of course I hadn’t thought of that. But what do you think we can do to make the sprint deliver a valuable increment that stakeholders like?

Howard: “I think we have to start to focus on a closed issue in the sprint. If I understand you correctly, the PBIs you bring in are relevant to several issues, aren’t they?”

Ray: “You are right, I have taken all the feedback from the stakeholders and summarized it into several PBIs … “ <is thinking about it>

Howard: “With a Sprint Goal Scrum wants to achieve, that the Team can focus on one distinct topic which can be reached during the Sprint. Are you familiar with this? “

Ray: “I have heard about it, but we have never done it like that before.”

Howard: “As far as I know, we are still working without a sprint goal. Do you think you can sort the PBI’s into different topics and identify one topic of particular importance?

Ray: <thinks> “I’d have to look, but I think together with the team we should be able to do that.”

Howard: “Well, let’s go back to the Sprint Planning meeting and introduces the idea to the team.”

Howard and Ray go back to the team room to continue the Sprint Planning. Howard explains to the team the idea behind the sprint goal. The team works with Ray to craft a sprint goal that can be achieved with some of the PBIs that Ray wants. Ray is relieved to have found a way to move the product forward in the next sprint. Now the team still has to commit to it, says Ray …

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