Introduction: What You’ll Learn
In this simulation, you'll navigate a sprint planning session where expectations might be a bit out of sync with reality. Your goal is to help the team set achievable targets and ensure everyone is on the same page.
You’ll practice:
- Spotting when expectations are off
- Guiding conversations to align on goals
- Encouraging realistic commitments
- Making sure the whole team is on board
Step-by-Step Simulation
Scene 1: Opening the Planning Session
Facilitator: "Hey team, good morning! Welcome to sprint planning. Today, we're going to prioritize our backlog and agree on what we can realistically tackle next. Let's keep it open and honest. First, can everyone give a quick update on their availability?"
(Team members briefly share their availability. The facilitator shares a quick look at past sprint velocity on the board.)
Facilitator: "Awesome. Now, let's dive into our top backlog items and chat about what’s most important."
Scene 2: Identifying Unrealistic Expectations
Product Owner: "I really want us to get the new user dashboard and the entire analytics suite done this sprint. Customers are eager to see them."
Facilitator: "Thanks for bringing those up. Let’s break it down a bit. Based on what we've done before, doing both might be a stretch. Team, what do you think?"
Alex (Developer): "The dashboard seems doable, but the analytics suite is quite big. We should probably split it into smaller pieces."
Sara (Developer): "Yeah, plus we need time for testing and integration. Doing all that in one sprint might be too much."
Facilitator: "Great points. Let’s do some quick estimates and see what fits. We want to make sure we're setting ourselves up for success without burning out."
Scene 3: Facilitating Discussions to Align Goals
Facilitator: "Let’s focus on the user dashboard first. What are the must-haves for this sprint?"
Priya (Developer): "We should get the key features like user metrics and visualizations done. That'll give immediate value."
Product Owner: "Makes sense. Let’s prioritize those."
Facilitator: "Cool. Now, about the analytics suite, can we break it down into smaller, doable tasks?"
Leo (Developer): "We could start with setting up data collection and storage, then work on visualization next sprint."
Facilitator: "Sounds like a solid plan. Let’s adjust our backlog to reflect this approach."
Scene 4: Ensuring Realistic Commitments and Team Buy-In
Facilitator: "Are we all good with these commitments for the sprint? Any thoughts or concerns?"
(The team nods, looking more relaxed now that the plan is realistic.)
Facilitator: "Great! If anything feels off or too heavy during the sprint, just shout. We’re here to support each other."
Product Owner: "Thanks, everyone. Let’s keep the lines of communication open."
Facilitator: "Perfect. I’ll update our sprint backlog and share it in Slack. Great job aligning our goals. Let's make this sprint a success! Alex, can you keep an eye on our progress with the dashboard and check in mid-sprint?"
(Alex agrees to monitor the progress.)
Mini Roleplay Challenges
Challenge 1: The Product Owner insists on including both large tasks in one sprint.
- Best Response: “I get why it’s important, but let’s focus on core features first and plan for the rest next sprint to keep quality high and stress low.”
Challenge 2: A developer estimates tasks as taking much less time than realistic.
- Best Response: “Let’s look at our past work to make sure these estimates fit our usual pace and capacity.”
Challenge 3: The team seems hesitant to voice concerns about the scope.
- Best Response: “I want everyone to feel comfortable with this plan. Any concerns or tweaks we need to make to ensure we’re all confident?”
Optional Curveball Mode
- The Product Owner adds a last-minute high-priority task.
- A developer is unexpectedly unavailable, affecting capacity.
- The team receives unclear requirements during planning.
Practice handling each scenario to keep expectations realistic and the sprint plan focused.
Reflection Checklist
Planning Flow
- Did we have a balanced discussion on priorities?
- Did our estimates align with our capacity?
- Did everyone get a chance to voice concerns?
Expectation Management
- Did we set realistic goals?
- Did we break down large tasks effectively?
- Did the team buy into the plan?
Leadership & Tone
- Was I open to feedback and flexible?
- Did I keep the vibe collaborative and supportive?
- Did I clearly communicate changes and decisions?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcommitting and ignoring team capacity
- Not breaking down big tasks into smaller ones
- Not encouraging team input or addressing concerns
- Skipping the importance of realistic planning