Ensure Sprint Success with Stories that are READY

Steven GraneseDirector of Agile ConsultingTampa, FL, USA

@sgranese

Steven.Granese@AgileThought.com

Why Scrum Fails?1. Poor Structure

2. Wrong Mindset

3. Lack of Clarity about Work

What is Clarity?the entire team has a

full understanding

of the customer’s problem

that needs to be solved

Clarity Takes Time

Individuals don’t WRITE stories.

Teams CULTIVATE Stories

VISIONING REFINING

definition

of ready

shared

understanding

THINKING

effectiveness

mindset

Today’s AgendaSTRATEGIC TACTICAL

PRINCIPLE #1 PRINCIPLE #2 PRINCIPLE #3

THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING AN

EFFECTIVENESS MINDSET

thinking

Why Blockbuster Didn’t Have to Fail

Massively Efficient Operations

Forbes.com

“The irony is that Blockbuster failed BECAUSE its leadership had built a

well-oiled operational machine.”

Agile in the “Real World”

Adapt & Iterate

“You think you have a plan, but you need to be more

AGILE because things are way more complex.”

EFFICIENT, wired processes don’t work; Disorienting

… Frameworks… Learn everyday

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/alq7q1/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-stanley-mcchrystal

Adaptability is the Goal

“Adaptability, not efficiency, must

become our central competency.”

–Team of Teams

Individuals and Interactions over processes and tools

Working Software overcomprehensive documentation

Customer Collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to Change over following a plan

We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and

helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:

That is, while there is value in the items on the right,

we value the items on the left more.

www.agilemanifesto.org

New Value for the Agile Manifesto

Effectiveness over efficiency

Principle #1

A team first needs to focus on

becoming EFFECTIVE…

…then can worry about being

EFFICIENT.

APPLYING AN EFFECTIVENESS

MINDSET TO CREATE A SHARED

UNDERSTANDING

visioning

Find Flights

ModifyItinerary

Search for Flights

Select Flight

VerifyCorrect Flight

Update Account

PurchaseTicket

Confirm Purchase

ChangeFlight Time

Searchby Airport

Search by Date & Time

Search by Price

Search for Non-Stop

ChooseOne Way Opt.

View Assigned Seat

Change Seat

View Flight Details

Enter Contact Info

Change Email

Pay with Visa

Display Confirm. Number

Find Nearby Flights

Select New Flight

Select Multi-City Opt.

Upgrade Seat

Share w/ Friend

Add Frequent Flier No.

Email Confirm. Number

Display Flight Map

Change Password

Print Confirm. No.

PurchaseTickets

Choose Round Trip Opt.

Select Seat

Pay with AmEx

Store Credit Card

Receive Alert

CancelFlight

Cancel Single Flight

Cancel All Flights

Business

Families

Vacations

Discount

Themes/Epics

FeaturesUsers

Story Mapping ExampleUser

Stories

Find Flights

ModifyItinerary

Search for Flights

Select Flight

VerifyCorrect Flight

Update Account

PurchaseTicket

Confirm Purchase

ChangeFlight Time

Searchby Airport

Search by Date & Time

Search by Price

Search for Non-Stop

ChooseOne Way Opt.

View Assigned Seat

Change Seat

View Flight Details

Enter Contact Info

Change Email

Pay with Visa

Display Confirm. Number

Find Nearby Flights

Select New Flight

Select Multi-City Opt.

Upgrade Seat

Share w/ Friend

Add Frequent Flier No.

Email Confirm. Number

Display Flight Map

Change Password

Print Confirm. No.

PurchaseTickets

Choose Round Trip Opt.

Select Seat

Pay with AmEx

Store Credit Card

Receive Alert

CancelFlight

Cancel Single Flight

Cancel All Flights

Business

Families

Vacations

Discount

Users

RELEASE 1

Themes/Epics

Features

UserStories

Find Flights

ModifyItinerary

Search forFlights

Select Flight

VerifyCorrect Flight

Update Account

PurchaseTicket

Confirm Purchase

ChangeFlight Time

Searchby Airport

Search by Date & Time

Search by Price

Search for Non-Stop

ChooseOne Way Opt.

View Assigned Seat

Change Seat

View Flight Details

Enter Contact Info

Change Email

Pay with Visa

Display Confirm. Number

Find Nearby Flights

Select New Flight

Select Multi-City Opt.

Upgrade Seat

Share w/ Friend

Add Frequent Flier No.

Email Confirm. Number

Display Flight Map

Change Password

Print Confirm. No.

PurchaseTickets

Choose Round Trip Opt.

Select Seat

Pay with AmEx

Store Credit Card

Receive Alert

CancelFlight

Cancel Single Flight

Cancel All Flights

Business

Families

Vacations

Discount

Users

RELEASE 1

Themes/Epics

Features

UserStoriesAs a business flier, I want to pay with

my American Express credit card so that I can purchase an airline ticket.

Product Backlog vs Story Map

1. Promotes Shared

Understanding and Context

2. Great for finding Hidden

Stories

3. Effective

SEARCH

BY

AIRPORT

CHOOSE

ONE

WAY OPT.

VIEW

ASSIGNED

SEAT

1. Promotes Priority

Conversations and Focus

2. Great for Estimating

Timelines and Dates

3. Efficient

Principle #2

…TO EFFECTIVELY BUILD A

SHARED UNDERSTANDING.

The team discusses and

cultivates user stories

TOGETHER...

FOLLOWING A METHODICAL

PROCESS TO CLARIFY PROBLEMS

THAT NEED TO BE SOLVED

refining

Three-Touch Refining Process (Overview)

SPEED

REFINING

SPRINT

REFINING

SPRINT

PLANNING

The team

“touches”

each story

three

times!

(hint –

not efficient!)

Three-Touch Refining Process (Details)

SPEED REFINING SPRINT REFINING SPRINT PLANNING

WHAT?

WHY?

WHEN?

Clarify the Problem. Don’t Solution!

Team provides quick forecast after

discussing for 3-5 mins.

“Regular” Sprint Planning Event

Daily/Weekly, based on volume

Help Product Owner to prioritize on the

backlog

Deep discussion of stories for next sprint

Deepen teams understanding of

customers’ problem

At least one week before sprint planning

Create Sprint Goal and make realistic

commitments

Immediately before the Sprint

Foundation for the Definition of Ready

SPEED REFINING SPRINT REFINING SPRINT PLANNING

• Initial Story Point

Estimate

• At least one

acceptance criteria

• Prioritized on the

backlog

• Full user story format

• Completed “happy

path” acceptance

test

• Identify at least one

“negative”

acceptance test

• Story Size smaller

than ”3”

• Identify specific

Subject Matter

Expert / Customer

• Review story details

• Feedback from

SME/Customer

• Identify all tasks

with hours

(capacity

planning)

• Team commitment

Create Initial Definition of Ready

Definition of

Ready1. Size less than 3

2. “As a user…” format

3. Completed Happy

Path Acceptance

Test Case

4. Title Identified for

Negative Test Cases

5. Feedback from SME

or Customer

6. Tasks with Hours

7. Team Commitment

speed refining criteria

sprint refining criteria

sprint planning criteria

= Definition of Ready

+

+

Visualize Your Process

READYIN

PROGRESSDONE

Start with a Simple Kanban Board

Add Columns on the LEFT

Visualize Your Process

INBOX REFINE PLAN READY IN PROGRESS DONE

SPEED

REFIN

ING

SPR

INT

REFIN

ING

SPR

INT

PLA

NN

ING

Start EACH STORY in the Inbox

SEARCH

BY

AIRPORT

CHANGE

SEATS

Slowly CULTIVATE stories to “Ready”

BACKLOG

UPGRADE

SEAT

SELECT

DIFFERENT

SEAT

Principle #3

The Sprint is for…

SOLVING THE PROBLEM

The purpose of “refining” before the

sprint is to clarify the customer’s

problem.

VISIONING REFINING

definition of

ready

shared

understanding

THINKING

effectiveness

mindset

Principles of Getting Ready

PRINCIPLE #1 PRINCIPLE #2 PRINCIPLE #3

A team first needs to

focus on becoming

effective, then can

worry about being

efficient.

A team discusses and

cultivates user stories

together to effectively

build a shared

understanding.

The purpose of refining

before the sprint is to

clarify the customer’s

problem.

The Sprint is for solving

the problem.

Ensure Sprint Success with Stories that are READY

Steven GraneseDirector of Agile Consulting @sgranese

Steven.Granese@AgileThought.com

Q&A