Watch Out For Stretch Goals

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When a Scrum team plans a sprint, they should do so with their velocity in mind. Velocity, in the context of Scrum, refers to the average number of story points a team has completed in past sprints. This metric serves as a reliable gauge of the team's capacity and should guide the amount of work planned for each sprint. Assuming the team has been working together for a while using the Scrum methodology, their historical velocity provides a realistic benchmark for future sprints.

Planning sprints based on velocity ensures that teams do not overcommit or undercommit. Overcommitting by adding more work than what the team's velocity supports can lead to incomplete sprints, while undercommitting may result in underutilization of the team's potential. It is essential to strike a balance, and the team's average velocity helps achieve that balance. Temptation to include additional work beyond the team's velocity often arises, particularly from product owners who may see stretch goals as a way to push the team to achieve more. However, this practice is counterproductive.

Adding stretch goals to a sprint is unnecessary and can be detrimental. Instead, any additional work should remain at the top of the product backlog. This allows the team to pick up the extra work only if they complete their committed sprint tasks ahead of time. The reality, however, is that if the team's average velocity is accurate, they are unlikely to reach the stretch goals within the sprint timeframe. Including such bonus work in the sprint backlog can create an impression of underperformance if not completed, thereby affecting team morale and potentially leading to a negative perception of the team's productivity by management.

The primary focus during sprint planning should be on the most critical and necessary tasks. Teams should be entrusted with accurate story pointing, and over time, their velocity will become a dependable measure of their capacity. This reliability, however, is contingent upon team stability. Frequent changes in team composition, whether through the addition or removal of members, can disrupt velocity and affect sprint outcomes. Therefore, maintaining stable agile teams is crucial for consistent velocity and successful sprint execution.

In conclusion, stretch goals do not inherently enhance team performance and can serve as unnecessary distractions. By planning sprints based on velocity, Scrum teams can maintain realistic workloads, foster positive morale, and deliver consistent results. Stability in team composition further supports accurate velocity measurement, making it a cornerstone of effective sprint planning and execution.

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