It provides a shared objective for the Scrum Team and generates cohesion as every team member works towards the Fordable, common aim. This shared goal generates a sense of purpose, fosters collaboration, and enhances the team’s focus on the task at hand. In the process of preparing for the Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) exam, understanding the methodology of creating a Sprint Goal is highly essential.
I. Understanding Sprint Goal
Before we delve into how to create a Sprint Goal, it’s crucial to understand what it exactly is. The Sprint Goal is a concise, straightforward statement that conveys the purpose of the Sprint. This goal can be a functional objective, an issue to resolve, or any other aim that provides concrete direction for the Scrum Team.
The Sprint Goal answers “Why are we doing this Sprint?”, illustrating the main objective that drives all activities during the Sprint. Teams that operate with a clear Sprint Goal are more likely to deliver value more consistently because they understand the “why” behind their work.
II. Creating a Sprint Goal
Creating a Sprint Goal is a collective responsibility of the Scrum Team, particularly the Product Owner and the Development Team. The Product Owner communicates the product vision and business needs, while the Development Team leverages their technical expertise to discern what is feasible in the ensuing Sprint.
- Identify Business Objective: Start by determining the business outcome you want the Sprint to accomplish. This could be resolving a particular issue, delivering a specific feature, or attaining a certain level of performance.
- Collaborative Discussion: The Product Owner and the Development Team should have an iterative discussion about what’s most crucial to be achieved. The team pinpoints the Sprint backlog items that align most with the business objectives and contribute to the Sprint Goal.
- Formulate the Sprint Goal: Once the focus of Sprint is established, the team formulates a concise, easy-to-understand Sprint Goal following the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) criteria.
III. Example of a Sprint Goal
Let’s consider an example to illustrate the process better.
Suppose we have a Scrum Team working on a travel booking application. The Product Owner has identified that improving the user experience on the flight booking feature is the primary business objective.
During the collaborative discussion, the Product Owner and the Development Team decide that enhancing the search functionality and payment process could significantly improve flight booking experience.
Therefore, their Sprint Goal could be, “Improve the user experience on the flight booking feature by optimizing the search functionality and streamlining the payment process.”
IV. Remembering the Value of a Sprint Goal
The Sprint Goal isn’t merely a planned objective. It serves as a pact that encourages collaboration and helps ensure that the Scrum Team stays focused and aligned throughout the Sprint. It allows flexibility in the backlog items if pursued in order to maintain focus on the achievement of the Sprint Goal.
By practicing the creation of a Sprint Goal on each Sprint, teams will become more adept at identifying their objectives. This will lead to better alignment, improved productivity, increased value in the delivered product, and better preparations for the CSPO examination.
V. Conclusion
It’s important to note that becoming proficient in creating Sprint Goals requires consistent practice. Teams may initially struggle, but with time, they will learn to define effective Sprint Goals that drive productivity and deliver value. As you prepare for your CSPO examination, keep refining your Sprint Goal creation skills. This proficiency will not only help you excel in your exam but will also enhance your performance as a Product Owner.
Practice Test
Sprint goals are optional in Scrum.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: A sprint goal is a short, high-level summary of what the Scrum team plans to accomplish during a sprint.
Who is responsible for creating the Sprint goal?
- Scrum Master
- Product Owner
- Development Team
- All of the above
Answer: All of the above
Explanation: The entire Scrum team, including the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Development team should collaborate to create the sprint goal.
The sprint goal should be specific to technical tasks.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The sprint goal should be a high-level, business-oriented summary. It should not be focused on specific tasks or stories.
Is the Sprint Goal created after the Sprint planning?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The Sprint Goal is a by-product of the Sprint planning process and is agreed upon before the Sprint begins.
Should the Sprint Goal guide the Development Team in their day-to-day work?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The Sprint Goal provides a target for the Scrum Team to work towards during the entire course of the Sprint.
Who can change the Sprint Goal once set?
- Product Owner
- Scrum Master
- Neither
Answer: Neither
Explanation: Once the Sprint has started, the goal should not be changed.
Can the Sprint goal expand or evolve during the sprint?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The sprint goal remains the same throughout the sprint. It can’t be expanded or evolved.
Select all that are characteristics of a good Sprint goal.
- Flexible
- Unambiguous
- Achievable
- Irrelevant
Answer: Unambiguous, Achievable
Explanation: A good Sprint Goal is achievable and unambiguous and should guide the team throughout the Sprint.
If a Sprint is cancelled, the Sprint Goal becomes irrelevant.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: If a Sprint is cancelled for any reason, the Sprint Goal associated with that Sprint becomes irrelevant.
Does the Sprint Goal also guide the stakeholders in understanding what value will be delivered at the end of the Sprint?
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Besides guiding the team, the Sprint Goal helps give stakeholders a high-level understanding of what will be achieved at the end of the Sprint.
The Sprint Goal must be decided and fixed before the Sprint starts.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The Sprint Goal is set during the Sprint planning meeting and does not change once the Sprint has started.
The Sprint Goal must be testable.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: A good Sprint Goal should be testable, providing the team a way to objectively measure if the goal is being met.
The Sprint Goal is only about the work that the Development Team will do.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: The Sprint Goal is more about the value that the work will deliver.
Do Scrum Teams have to deliver everything they planned for in the Sprint to achieve the Sprint Goal?
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: While it’s encouraged, not everything planned has to be delivered; what’s most important is achieving the Sprint Goal.
It is beneficial if the Sprint Goal aligns with the Product Goal.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: When the Sprint Goal aligns with the Product Goal, it ensures the Scrum Team is working towards overall business objectives, which increases efficiency.
Interview Questions
What is a Sprint Goal in Scrum?
A Sprint Goal in Scrum is a short, high-level summary of what the team plans to achieve during a Scrum Sprint. It provides a shared objective, and is used to guide the team in making decisions about what work to prioritize during the Sprint.
Who creates the Sprint Goal?
The Sprint Goal is collaboratively crafted by the Product Owner, the Scrum Team, and the Scrum Master during the Sprint Planning.
How should a Sprint Goal be formulated?
A Sprint Goal should be clear, actionable, and achievable within the Sprint’s timeframe. It should represent a tangible benefit or value that the customers or users will receive.
Why is creating a Sprint Goal important?
The Sprint Goal serves multiple purposes, such as providing direction and focus, fostering team unity and engagement, facilitating scope flexibility, clarifying priorities, and offering a measure of progress.
What is the relationship between the Sprint Goal and the Product Backlog?
The Sprint Goal is derived from the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint. The goal should align with the highest priority items in the Product Backlog.
Can the Sprint Goal be changed once the Sprint has begun?
The Sprint Goal should remain consistent throughout the Sprint. However, if the goal becomes irrelevant or unattainable, the Scrum Team can cut the Sprint short and start a new one with a more appropriate goal.
How would you coach a Scrum Team that constantly fails to meet a Sprint Goal?
As a Scrum Coach, it’s important to apply techniques that help the team improve their ability to meet their Sprint Goals. This could include refining the process of goal-setting, improving estimation strategies, or adjusting the amount of work taken on in each Sprint.
Which Scrum event do Scrum teams use to inspect the progress towards the Sprint Goal?
The Scrum Team uses Daily Scrum as an event to inspect the progress towards the Sprint Goal.
How often should the Sprint Goal be reviewed?
The Sprint Goal should be reviewed at minimum on a daily basis during the Daily Scrum but can also be reviewed more frequently if necessary.
Where is the Sprint Goal documented or recorded?
The Sprint Goal is discussed and agreed upon during the Sprint Planning Meeting. Post that, it is documented in the Sprint Backlog and should be prominently displayed for everyone involved in the project to see.
How does the Sprint Goal influence the selection of Product Backlog items?
The Sprint Goal guides the selection of Product Backlog items for a Sprint by providing an objective that the selected items should fulfill.
What criteria should be followed while setting the Sprint Goal?
The Sprint Goal should be reasonable, achievable, related to product development, customer-focused, and aligned with the company’s strategic goals.
What is the role of the Product Owner in defining the Sprint Goal?
The Product Owner is responsible for guiding the team toward achieving the overall product vision. They help in crafting the Sprint Goal based on current product backlog items that align with product strategy and deliver maximum value.
How does a clearly defined Sprint Goal add value to the team’s work?
A clearly defined Sprint Goal provides direction and purpose, helps team prioritize their work, fosters a collaborative environment, and increases productivity as the team has clear visibility of what they are working towards.
What type of goal is a good Sprint Goal?
A good Sprint Goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and focused. It should inspire and motivate the team, and provide a clear path forward towards the product’s vision.
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