Agile fundamentals for teams

In this video, we're going to look at how Agile team's plan. Planning is a key part of any Agile team’s workflow. It’s all about setting you up for success by deciding what you’ll focus on. With traditional approaches, teams plan at the start of a project and then work to deliver the plan. For Agile teams, planning is continuous and flexible. This means you'll plan little and often. This gives you the ability to adjust as priorities shift or new challenges emerge. 

Agile teams plan on several levels. Every day, your team will get together in a daily stand-up to review your progress and adjust your work for the day. At the start of each cycle, you’ll have a planning session to set your focus. 

You’ll also plan ahead through release planning. This is where you map out the goals you'll work towards in future cycles. And then there’s your roadmap. This is your longer-term plan, showing the direction, your product or service is heading in. Remember, this isn't set in stone. You should review your roadmap when necessary and adjust it based on what you've learnt. 

Planning is about more than deciding and assigning tasks. It’s about setting you up for success. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your planning sessions: 

First, wrap up the last cycle. Review the work completed and reflect on what went well and what didn’t. Decide on actions to take forward. This helps you improve your effectiveness over time. 

Next, identify your capacity. How many people are available? How much work can you complete? Knowing this helps you avoid overcommitting. 

Decide on a goal. What do you want to achieve? This goal will guide your planning. 

Finally, decide your priorities. Once you know your goal, choose the highest-priority items that will help you achieve it. Focus on what will deliver the most value to your users. 

To help you plan, here’s a simple template you can use to guide your sessions. It breaks down the process into four key areas: 

Goal: What do you want to achieve in this sprint? This is where, as a team, you can define a clear, specific goal. 

Opportunities: What actions can you take to ensure you meet your goal? These could include: 

• tackling high-priority tasks 
• removing blockers 
• or exploring new ways to solve problems 

Priorities: What must you get done to achieve your goal? These are your highest-priority tasks—the work that will have the biggest impact. 

Success Metrics: How will you measure whether you’ve met your goal? Think about the data or feedback you’ll need to track progress. 

Finally, give your sprint a name. By naming your sprint can help keep your team focused on the goal. 

Planning is crucial to keeping you on track and deliver value. Remember to set clear goals. Understand your capacity as a team and focus on priorities that will help you reach your goal.