Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast: Agile Storytelling from the Trenches

Episode: The Three-Day Sprint Planning Nightmare - Learning from Failure | Antti Horeli
Host: Vasco Duarte
Guest: Antti Horeli, Agile Coach from Finland
Release Date: January 27, 2025

1. Introduction to the Episode

In this compelling episode of the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast, host Vasco Duarte welcomes Antti Horeli, an experienced Agile Coach from Finland. The episode delves into Antti’s challenging experience with a prolonged Sprint Planning session, exploring the complexities and lessons learned from this ordeal.

2. Guest Introduction: Antti Horeli

Vasco introduces Antti Horeli, highlighting his transition from technical roles to Agile coaching. Antti is recognized for his systems-oriented and empathetic approach, fostering collaboration and effective communication within teams. With decades of experience, Antti has dedicated his career to empowering teams to reach their full potential.

3. Antti’s Journey to Becoming a Scrum Master

Antti shares his background, recounting his studies in Computer Science and initial career as a developer. He describes a pivotal moment when he realized that technical challenges were only part of the equation. Faced with conflicting priorities and lacking the authority to make business value decisions, Antti sought a role that bridged technical and human aspects. This led him to embrace the Scrum Master role, marking a significant career shift away from coding to Agile coaching.

Antti Horeli [03:01]: "I started thinking that maybe, actually when I thought all the problems was on tech side, maybe there's something also difficult on the human side... I raised my hand, I want to try that."

4. The Three-Day Sprint Planning Nightmare

Antti recounts one of the most challenging Sprint Planning sessions of his career. Initially confident in their Scrum practices, his team entered the planning unprepared due to unforeseen priorities that consumed their time in previous weeks. What was anticipated as a few hours of planning escalated into a grueling two-day ordeal.

Antti Horeli [06:47]: "The whole planning thing took about two days..."

As they delved into their backlog, they discovered that many items were larger and more complex than anticipated, necessitating extensive refinement during the planning itself. This lack of preparedness was exacerbated by sudden business changes that completely disrupted their carefully laid plans the very next day.

Antti Horeli [08:11]: "The PO came back and said actually this is all the wrong stuff."

This sudden shift left the team demoralized and frustrated, culminating in what Antti describes as one of the most disappointing moments in his career.

5. Lessons Learned and Takeaways

Reflecting on the experience, Antti emphasizes the critical importance of backlog refinement. He advocates for separating refinement from planning to ensure that Sprint Planning sessions remain focused and efficient.

Antti Horeli [09:19]: "Refinement work really pays off... maybe split into smaller groups or something."

Additionally, Antti highlights the necessity of having visibility into higher-level business decisions that could impact the team’s work. By ensuring that the Product Owner effectively communicates such changes beforehand, teams can avoid being blindsided, thereby reducing emotional stress and fostering better adaptability.

Antti Horeli [10:42]: "Making really sure that these kind of higher level things that happen... we know about them at least a little bit."

6. Balancing Communication: Sharing vs. Oversharing

The conversation transitions into the delicate balance between sharing sufficient information and avoiding information overload. Vasco poses the question of how much the Scrum Master should share with the team, considering that not all business discussions will translate into actionable items for the team.

Antti admits there’s no one-size-fits-all rule but suggests using retrospectives as a feedback mechanism to gauge whether the team feels overburdened or underinformed. If retrospectives frequently highlight communication issues, it signals a need to adjust the information flow.

Antti Horeli [11:24]: "If we seem to have retrospectives or other situations where this thing comes up as a problem often, then we have to do something about, we have to share more."

Vasco adds the strategy of involving the team in decision-making by inviting them to opt-in for more information during Sprint Reviews or Retrospectives. This approach respects the team’s autonomy and ensures that only relevant information is shared, preventing both information overload and gaps in essential knowledge.

Vasco Duarte [13:43]: "Leaving that option for the team to make a decision on their own."

Antti agrees, noting that this method not only balances information flow but also engages the team more deeply.

Antti Horeli [14:02]: "The team can kind of realize... you might not know about. Let's talk about this a bit more and kind of gets them engaged."

7. Final Thoughts and Conclusion

The episode concludes with Antti expressing appreciation for the discussion, affirming the value of sharing such challenging experiences to foster learning and growth within the Agile community. Vasco reiterates the importance of communication balance and encourages listeners to apply these insights to enhance their Scrum practices.

Vasco Duarte [14:14]: "Remember that sharing is caring."

Key Takeaways:

• Backlog Refinement: Regular and separate backlog refinement sessions prevent Sprint Planning from becoming overwhelming and unfocused.
• Visibility into Business Changes: Ensuring the team is aware of higher-level business decisions in advance mitigates unexpected disruptions.
• Balanced Communication: Utilize retrospectives to assess and adjust the level of information shared with the team, fostering a healthy communication environment.
• Team Autonomy: Allow teams to decide their preferred level of information sharing to enhance engagement and ownership.

Notable Quotes:

• Antti Horeli [03:01]: "I started thinking that maybe, actually when I thought all the problems was on tech side, maybe there's something also difficult on the human side..."
• Antti Horeli [06:47]: "The whole planning thing took about two days..."
• Antti Horeli [10:42]: "Making really sure that these kind of higher level things that happen... we know about them at least a little bit."
• Antti Horeli [14:02]: "The team can kind of realize... let's talk about this a bit more and kind of gets them engaged."
• Vasco Duarte [14:14]: "Remember that sharing is caring."

This episode serves as a valuable resource for Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches, illustrating the importance of preparation, communication, and adaptability in Agile practices. By learning from Antti’s experience, listeners can better navigate the complexities of Sprint Planning and foster more resilient and effective teams.