- The Sprint Review with Little Stakeholder Participation
- The Sprint Review Where Nothing Is Done
- Keys to Facilitating an Effective Sprint Review
- Conclusion
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Keys to Facilitating an Effective Sprint Review
We have explored some uses of facilitation techniques for the Sprint Review and how they might help with some of the common challenges with the event. This section looks at some of the key factors to consider when facilitating the Sprint Review.
Create a Learning Space
Some terms associated with Scrum become so ingrained into the culture and language of so many teams that people come to believe they are actually part of the Scrum framework. The end of Sprint demo and the show and tell are a couple examples of names that people use to describe a meeting near the end of the Sprint where the work of the Sprint is shown.
Demonstration, demo, and show and tell all imply a one-way conversation. People come to the event, interpreting it to be a place where they will passively see a presentation of the latest version of the product.
As well as reviewing the Increment, create a collaborative learning space in which stakeholders and the team can learn. The Sprint Review is the opportunity to share learning, which could be product development challenges, feature usage, changes in customer behavior or expectations, shifts in market conditions, or anything else that may require changes to the plan going ahead in the form of adaptations to the Product Backlog.
Enable Interaction and Collaboration
The Sprint Review is a collaborative working session between the Scrum Team and its stakeholders. In our experience, the more stakeholders are inspired to contribute to the Sprint Review the better.
Ensure stakeholders are aware of the Sprint Goal before the Sprint Review and prompt them to think about how they will contribute to the event. One of the main purposes of the Sprint Review is to garner feedback, and nothing beats putting the product into the stakeholders’ hands so they actually experience it for themselves. Rather than following a script, task them with using the product, and just observe them. Is the product intuitive for them? Do they have a good experience? Does the product solve a need? How might the product be improved for them? As a facilitator, work with the team to make stakeholders part of finding ways to improve the product. Try to make it an engaging, valuable, and collaborative session so that ultimately the Scrum Team can update the Product Backlog based on valuable feedback and the latest information available as they work toward the Product Goal.
Engage the Right Stakeholders at the Right Time
To create an engaging session where everyone participates, you need to make sure you have the right people at the Sprint Review. Inviting the right people at the right time is essential for both stakeholders and the Scrum Team. The Scrum Team relies on valuable feedback, and stakeholders without a stake may not be the right people to have at the event. Having the wrong people is likely to cause low engagement, and they and the Scrum Team may be left wondering why they are there at all. Work with the Scrum Team to decide how to facilitate these types of sessions. Should reviews be invite-only? Should they be open but with constraints?
Stakeholders is a broad term, so what does it mean to be a Scrum Team’s stakeholder? For us, the answer is anyone who is impacted by, or anyone who has an influence on, the product of the Scrum Team.
Not all stakeholders are equal. Some need to know a lot of detail about the Scrum Team’s product and the progress that the Scrum Team is making. Others only care about certain aspects around the product, such as financials, and are less concerned about the product itself. The Scrum Team is responsible for how it collaborates with all its stakeholders, and this may well include doing much more than just inviting all stakeholders to the Sprint Review. We discuss stakeholder maps, decision matrices, and the how long has it been tool in Chapter 1, “Facilitating Alignment,” as techniques to guide a Scrum Team’s engagement with its stakeholders.
Focus on Goals and Value
Stakeholders want to know that progress is being made and the Scrum Team is doing valuable work. Often, the default behavior of stakeholders leads them to look at the output of a Scrum Team—the tangible work completed and the speed at which it was completed (velocity). This is relatively easy to measure. However, Scrum is not a tool intended for producing output. The word value appears 25 times in the 2020 version of the Scrum Guide. Variations of the word delivery appear only 4 times, and one of those references the delivery of value. Successful Sprint Reviews are focused on validating valuable progress toward the vision. In other words, the Scrum Team is delivering value to customers to meet their desired outcomes. That is why it is important to start a Sprint Review with a reminder about goals.
The Product Goal is a step toward fulfilling the product vision, so reminding attendees in the Sprint Review about how meeting the Sprint Goal is a step toward the Product Goal helps to set context and focus on value. The feedback that stakeholders give in the Sprint Review, with the sharing of newfound knowledge about customer behaviors, the product in the market, and changing business conditions, helps the Scrum Team and its stakeholders validate whether value is being delivered and they are progressing toward the Product Goal.
When facilitating a Sprint Review, include some time for inspection of value metrics. Examples are usage of new features that were released in the past month, number of downloads, customer satisfaction, and other data that can be considered to be valuable for the Sprint Review and that measures the progress toward the Product Goal.
Facilitating the Sprint Review is not just about keeping to the timebox and making sure the work from the Sprint is demonstrated. A facilitator of the Sprint Review should ensure participants understand the purpose of the event and drive them to the outcomes—namely, a shared understanding of the latest product Increment and any new information that informs adaptations to the Product Backlog. Facilitating also involves preparation and follow-ups if needed. Everyone should be leaving the Sprint Review understanding the direction that the Scrum Team is heading in.
Create a Healthy Space for Every Voice
A facilitator should use the principle of healthy facilitation that we discuss in Appendix A, “Facilitation Principles,” when designing a Sprint Review, especially when considering how feedback will be shared. Not only is this important for the Scrum Team so that it can receive feedback constructively, but it is also important for the stakeholders to know that their feedback and ideas are appreciated. Many teams demonstrate their work and then invite feedback in an open space, which is not the most inclusive way of sharing ideas and feedback. Some stakeholders may not be comfortable being put on the spot, and others may need a little time to reflect.
Besides inviting open conversation in a group, we suggest a few other techniques for sharing thoughts, ideas, and feedback. One example might be a gallery walk, which we discuss in Chapter 8, “Facilitating Beyond a Single Scrum Team.” Another example might be giving personal reflection time with a feedback wall (which can be a physical wall or virtual space) where people can add cards with their thoughts. When people see their thoughts are being captured in some way, they feel more listened to. Trust and collaboration are then further enhanced if people see their feedback go on to be incorporated into Product Backlog items in the Product Backlog.
Consider the Wider Market
A product with no demand is irrelevant to the market and an irresponsible investment. Discussing and sharing new understanding of the current market and business conditions is an often overlooked part of the Sprint Review.
These discussions might include how previous versions of the product are performing in the market, the actions and performance of competitors, and feedback from customers including requests, positive reactions, and complaints. This can then be the basis to identify the gap between where the product is currently and how well it satisfies customer needs compared to its full potential, which in turn can drive the direction of the Scrum Team’s next efforts.