In Scrum, sprint goals stand as pivotal guiding stars, directing teams towards success. A sprint goal encapsulates the essence of a sprint – a short, time-bound period during which a team commits to achieving a specific objective. This blog explores the significance of sprint goals, shedding light on their importance, potential pitfalls of not having one, and offering real-world examples.
The scrum guide defines the sprint goal as:
“The Sprint Goal is the single objective for the Sprint. Although the Sprint Goal is a commitment by the Developers, it provides flexibility in terms of the exact work needed to achieve it. The Sprint Goal also creates coherence and focus, encouraging the Scrum Team to work together rather than on separate initiatives.”
A sprint goal is a coherent statement that defines the purpose of a sprint. It outlines what the scrum teams intends to achieve within the sprint. A sprint goal elaborates the ‘why’, why should we invest in this sprint, as a scrum team we should have an idea of value we believe we may get by achieving the sprint goal.
With the sprint goal defining the ‘why’, the developers use the ‘why’ to help them understand which product backlog items to select for the sprint, the ‘what’. With the ‘why’ and the ‘what’ understood, the developers then collaborate to agree the ‘how’.
In addition, Scrum events provide opportunities for inspection and adaptation. The sprint goal gives each of these events a purpose:
A major challenge for Scrum teams face when crafting a sprint goal, revolves around the belief that it’s an objective conjured up during sprint planning. In reality, the sprint planning event is unlikely to be the first instance in which the objective is discussed. In my experience, when the sprint goal is being formulated during sprint planning, it’s essentially the process of fine-tuning an objective that has already been deliberated upon as part of the product backlog refinement but it is not called a Sprint Goal yet until Sprint Planning.
During the sprint planning, the objective is further refined into something that is valuable, but is also attainable within the sprint’s timeframe. To fully comprehend this, we need to trace back to the very origin of the ideas, products, or features are initiated. Teams will engage in workshops to gain an understanding of the product’s functionalities and its potential benefits for customers. These discussions inherently involve the exploration of ways to break down features into smaller, independent features. These features might ultimately manifest as our product goals or initial sprint objectives conceived at a higher level.
As the product backlog undergoes refinement, it’s based on what we are striving to achieve. Consequently, we already have a notion of the objective we intend to accomplish. Therefore, part of the process of crafting the sprint goal during sprint planning entails refining this goal during sprint planning discussions.
Sprint goals are not just abstract concepts but vital tools that fuel team success. They bring teams together, align them with business goals, and provide a roadmap for progress. The challenges and impacts of not having a sprint goal underscore its significance in maintaining focus, improving collaboration, and achieving successful outcomes. A well-crafted sprint goal can drive teams towards tangible and meaningful accomplishments, setting the stage for continuous improvement and innovation in product development.
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