What is a sprint goal?
A sprint goal in an organization is a roadmap that the team will use to achieve a specific purpose during an agile sprint for the sprint goal. Usually, a sprint goal is the outcome of a negotiation between the project owner and the product development team. Ideally, sprint goals should be objective, straightforward, and measurable. They should represent the strategic objective of implementing the Product Backlog.
The sprint goal focuses on testing the assumptions of the larger development project, for instance, the development complexity, dealing with risks by fixing issues, adding some components and improving the architecture. Also, it deals with formulating new features based on the customers’ feedback.
The sprint goal focuses on answering the following questions:
● What is the goal the team is seeking to achieve?
● Why is the team working to clear the sprint backlog?
● Should stakeholders support the efforts of the team, and why?
Example of a Sprint Goal
A sprint goal should be straightforward and time-bound by the sprint while adding value to the client at the same time. The goal of the sprint defines your primary objectives. The sprint backlog outlines the specific tasks and the desired outcomes of the sprint. For instance, the goal of the sprint is to improve customer retention by 50% to be achieved by enhancing and executing the feedback system.
The sprint backlog will involve analyzing the online customer reviews to identify the key pain points and other opportunities. It may include creating automated emails requesting feedback following a complex transaction or a pop-up customer service chat box to enable requesting and providing feedback in real-time.
A Structure for Creating a Sprint Goal
The Header states the product, release, and the iteration or sprint the goal relates to.
The Goal – The main question is why the sprint is essential. Assess the uncertainty you are likely to face during release and the risks and then test assumptions encountered during the initial sprints. Consider optimizing and completing the features in subsequent sprints.
The Method addresses how the team will achieve the goal. You may want to use the SMART method, a specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound approach.
Welcome the Changes – With agility, you can improve the goals and use adaptation to switch goal settings and use the sprint goals as a basis for making decisions. When new information avails, an unexpected issue arises, or the needs of the customer change, check your sprint goals and decide the way forward. Allow flexibility for the optimal alignment of your key objectives and the value your customers get in the long run.
Benefits of Sprint Goals
● It gives clarity and focus on daily scrums
● Guides in sprint planning
● Facilitates efficient and aligned decision making
● Creates a benchmark for evaluating progress, outcome, and value
● Enables the product owner to create a road map for the product
Predicting backlog and setting sprint goals enables the organization and the development team to step back and re-evaluate the tasks ahead and how these tasks can fit together to support the accomplishment of business objectives. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how the sprint goals are going to impact the business and the customers.
