Introduction: What You’ll Learn
In this simulation, you'll practice juggling the resolution of bugs and the delivery of new features during a sprint planning session. This is a common challenge in software development, where maintaining stability while innovating is key.
You’ll practice:
- Prioritizing tasks effectively
- Balancing technical debt with new development
- Facilitating a productive and inclusive planning session
- Making trade-offs and decisions with team input
Step-by-Step Simulation
Scene 1: Opening the Planning Session
Facilitator (Scrum Master): "Hey team, hope everyone’s doing well! Today, we're diving into our sprint planning. We've got some exciting features up next, but there are also a few pesky bugs that need our attention. Let’s find a good balance to keep our progress steady and our product top-notch."
Facilitator: "To kick things off, let’s look at our backlog. We have three new features: the user profile redesign that our top clients have been asking for, the analytics dashboard for our marketing push, and real-time chat integration to boost engagement. Plus, we have five bugs, including one that's causing intermittent crashes."
Scene 2: Discussing Features and Bugs
Product Owner (Alex): "I think getting the analytics dashboard out is critical for the marketing team. It’s a priority for sure."
UI/UX Designer (Sara): "True, but the user profile redesign is also important. It’s been a top request, and it could really enhance user experience."
Developer (Leo): "I hear you both, but that crashing bug is a real pain for users. It’s starting to hurt our reputation."
Facilitator: "All valid points. Let’s break it down: which of these will make the biggest impact right now?"
Scene 3: Prioritizing and Balancing
Facilitator: "Let’s try using a simple matrix: impact versus effort. For the analytics dashboard, how are we feeling about its impact and effort?"
Alex: "I’d say high impact and medium effort. It’s a big win for our marketing strategy."
Sara: "The profile redesign is high impact too, but it’s definitely more effort-heavy compared to the dashboard."
Leo: "As for the bug fix, it’s high impact and high effort. It’s crucial for keeping our users happy."
Facilitator: "Sounds like we’ve got high impact all around, with varying effort. Do you think we can tackle both the dashboard and the bug, or do we need to adjust our scope?"
Scene 4: Decision and Wrap-Up
Facilitator: "Based on our discussion, how about this: we prioritize the analytics dashboard and the critical bug fix. The profile redesign can start in parallel with a smaller group, focusing on incremental changes."
Sara: "That sounds doable as long as we’re careful not to spread ourselves too thin."
Alex: "I’m in. Let’s also set some checkpoints to make sure we’re on track."
Facilitator: "Great! Let’s finalize these priorities, and I’ll assign the tasks. We’ll check in mid-sprint to see how things are going and make adjustments if needed. Thanks for all the input, everyone."
Mini Roleplay Challenges
Challenge 1: A stakeholder joins the meeting and insists on prioritizing a low-impact feature.
- Best Response: “Thanks for bringing that up. How about we consider it for the next sprint, given our current priorities?”
Challenge 2: Someone suggests adding more features, stretching the team.
- Best Response: “Great idea! Let’s document it and revisit once we assess our capacity mid-sprint.”
Challenge 3: A critical bug is downplayed by a team member.
- Best Response: “Let’s think about the user impact — it’s crucial for maintaining trust and satisfaction.”
Optional Curveball Mode
- A stakeholder joins and pushes for an urgent feature.
- A bug turns out to be more severe than initially thought.
- Mid-planning, a team member raises concerns about burnout.
Reflection Checklist
Planning Flow
- Did I guide the discussion without dominating it?
- Were prioritizations made based on impact and effort?
Team Engagement
- Did everyone contribute to the decision process?
- Was there a clear consensus on priorities?
Outcome Clarity
- Did we end with a clear, actionable plan?
- Are follow-up checkpoints and responsibilities assigned?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcommitting to too many tasks
- Ignoring the severity of critical bugs
- Neglecting team input on workload and capacity
- Failing to set clear priorities or follow-up actions