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Sprint goal for sprint planning meeting

Last post 10:15 pm November 28, 2017 by Dwarakesh Ravichandran
3 replies
Savitha Gouda
03:42 pm September 25, 2014

Hi,

Recently, I have come across the question: Scrum master should NOT allow the PO to attend sprint planning meeting if he is not ready with his sprint goal. Is this true or false?

I think this is false as team is going to set the sprint goal in first half of the sprint planning meeting. Feel free to give your thoughts.

Anke Maerz
03:08 am September 26, 2014

I think you are absolutely right.

1. The Scrum Guide says the Sprint Goal is developed during the Sprint Planning Meeting (as you've said).
2. The Scrum Master just can't set the Sprint Goal without the Development Team: The Sprint Goal shall guide the Development Team in implementing the Product Backlog. The Development Team is self-organizing. No one (not even the Scrum Master) tells the Development Team how to turn Product Backlog into Increments of potentially releasable functionality.
3. The Development Team can't set the Sprint Goal without the Product Owner or before the Sprint Planning Meeting: At the Sprint Planning Meeting, the Product Owner presents ordered Product Backlog items to the Development Team and the entire Scrum Team collaborates on understanding the work of the Sprint. It doesn't make sense to define a Sprint Goal before the Scrum Team understands the work of the Sprint.

Savitha Gouda
02:30 pm September 26, 2014

Sounds good Anke. Thanks for your response.

Dwarakesh Ravichandran
06:45 pm November 28, 2017

From the above comments, Sprint Goal is set at the Sprint Planning by the PO? I have come across a couple of places where one says the sprint goal is set by "scrum team" and the other stating that its by the PO.

My personal experience has been with the whole team sets the goal.

Thoughts?

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