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Scrum Master'S Duty in a User Story not ready and placed in Sprint Backlog by Dev

Last post 07:24 am November 15, 2022 by Abayomi Joseph Ajayi
3 replies
Abayomi Joseph Ajayi
10:37 am November 14, 2022

Does anyone has some input to how best to manage this:

A user story is not fully developed, and the design team and product owner are promising that it is to be delivered in the next sprint and the Dev team have placed into the sprint backlog. What would be the best step to take to manage this as a Scrum Master?

 

 

Ian Mitchell
11:14 am November 14, 2022

Find out why the Developers placed it in the Sprint Backlog:

  • Perhaps it doesn't have to be "fully developed", as you put it, in order to be ready. A user story is a placeholder for a conversation about a possible requirement. It is not a specification.
  • Perhaps it's work which the Developers would like to do for some reason, even if it isn't yet ready, and which is not essential to their Sprint Goal commitment. If so, find out why others are promising things the Developers are not committing to deliver.
  • If it isn't something the Developers wish to do, find out why they are having strange work and promises thrust on them by others.
Daniel Wilhite
03:45 pm November 14, 2022

What would be the best step to take to manage this as a Scrum Master?

Scrum Master's don't manage anything.  But as a Scrum Master you can help people learn from it.  For example:

  • Why are the Product Owner and Design Team promising work that they will not be doing?  Where is the respect in that?  
  • Why did the developers pull it into the Sprint?  Was it the pressure being exerted on them by the Product Owner and Design Team or did they truly feel it was ready and they could complete it? 

I would discuss this regardless of whether story ends up being completed or not.  To me, this behavior does not show respect for the developers ability to create their own Sprint and commit the Sprint Goal that is developed.  It shows a Product Owner making decisions for the Developers and telling them how to do their work. 

Abayomi Joseph Ajayi
07:24 am November 15, 2022

@Ian 

@Daniel

Thanks. 

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