Join this workshop if you want to start your Scrum project successfully and to keep being successful with your project.
This is a very practical exercise applied on your real project, so the whole team should be present (including the Product Owner and even someone with financial information about the project). You can still get value from this exercise if you cannot do that (see below).
Each Workshop is a little bit different. But the focus is on two things:
- Complete a good (decent) Release Planning for the real project or effort that the team is working on. It is best if the team is just starting the effort. And it is best if the team has access to all the people and resources to make the Release Planning effective. Release Planning includes (over-simplified): Vision, Product Backlog development, Business Value (points), Story Pointing, Risks-dependencies-other, Ordering the work, Deciding the scope-date trade-off, Budget. We also talk about infrastructure, architecture, and design (IAD)
- Complete a version of Sprint Planning. Over-simplified, this includes: Agreeing on the PBIs (product backlog items, or user stories) to commit to in the Sprint, and breaking the Stories into tasks. And fully committing. (I define this as: “We believe, 9 times out of 10, with the usual “stuff happens” around here, we can get all these stories done, in our best professional judgment. And maybe do more.”)
Why is the Workshop so important?
Because it takes the “theory” of the course, and puts it into practice. So that the stark and real meaning of the ideas becomes so much clearer in the real world of the team’s real work.
The Workshop is done under the guidance of typically two very experienced coaches, who offer as much coaching as it’s appropriate, keeping in mind that too much advice can actually hurt beginners more than help them.
FAQ
1. What if I am not attending with my own team?
We can form a Team of people, and you can participate with that Team. Or you can join a real team, for the Workshop, as a consultant (with their permission). If you are partly of an ad hoc team, then we want the Product Owner of that team to be working on his real project or product or effect. So, at least for him or her, it is very real. And that person is responsible for making it real for you.
Is it less effective? Yes, probably somewhat. Is it still useful? Yes. We have had no-one in this category say it was not useful.
2. How many teams are you coaching at a time?
In the workshops, we think it is best to have about two teams per coach, maybe three. So, if there is a large group, there typically will be two coaches.
3. Do we need to prepare?
Yes! As much as you can. It will still be useful even if you do not prepare at all. But the more the Product Owner is prepared with all the information the team will need to do Release Planning, the more effective will be the use of your time. This ideally and typically means including the other key business stakeholders (SMEs) in the workshop team. If you can.
But “if you wait for perfection, you might wait too long.” Do what you can before the Workshop, then, wherever you are, do the Workshop.
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