Isn’t the Sprint Goal defined by the SBI’s?
It is my understanding that the Daily Scrum is basically meant to keep Developers moving toward the Sprint Goal and that there are any number of ways to tackle this, the “3 Questions” perhaps being the most prevalent, if not the most effective method.
That said, isn’t the Sprint Goal defined by the SBI’s? Is it not the case that the SBI’s should be chosen at Sprint Planning after the Sprint Goal is chosen and that by definition, we are moving toward that goal with our work on these SBI’s?
Any help with this is appreciated in advance!
Isn’t the Sprint Goal defined by the SBI’s?
It is the other way around.
In Sprint Planning the Product Owner first makes a proposal for how value could increase in the Sprint, and then the entire Scrum Team collaborates to define the Sprint Goal. This is the Why.
Next the Developers select Product Backlog items (PBIs) to include in the Sprint Backlog, driven but not limited by the Sprint Goal. Think of this as the What.
Finally the Developers come up with a plan for the chosen work. This is the How.
The Sprint Backlog is comprised of the why (Sprint Goal), what (PBIs), and how (the plan).
It is my understanding that the Daily Scrum is basically meant to keep Developers moving toward the Sprint Goal and that there are any number of ways to tackle this, the “3 Questions” perhaps being the most prevalent, if not the most effective method.
Yes, in the Daily Scrum the Developers inspect progress towards the Sprint Goal and adapt their plan, the Sprint Backlog. The three questions have been removed from the Scrum Guide, and the Devs can use whatever format and questions they choose.
isn’t the Sprint Goal defined by the SBI’s
No, it's defined by whatever risk or uncertainty ought to be mitigated this Sprint when facing a complex challenge. Sprint Backlog items are a forecast of the work needed to do so. Commit to the goal, not to the forecast of work.
I don't think it's safe to say that the Sprint Goal is defined by the Product Backlog Items selected for the Sprint.
Consider a few possibilities:
- The Sprint Goal can be achieved by completing one Product Backlog Item.
- The Sprint Goal can be achieved by completing more than one but fewer than all Product Backlog Items selected for the Sprint.
- The Sprint Goal can be achieved only by completing all selected Product Backlog Items.
- The team believes they must complete N Product Backlog Items to achieve the Sprint Goal, but determines (by doing the work) that it is completed before N Product Backlog Items are complete.
- The team believes they must complete N Product Backlog Items to achieve the Sprint Goal, but upon completing all N Product Backlog Items, they determine that the goal has not yet been met.
The Daily Scrum helps to account for all of these. It's an opportunity for the team to identify what work they believe is needed to move closer to the Sprint Goal, revise the necessary work, and plan their day together. For example, suppose people are working on (ideally valuable) work that isn't directly related to the Sprint Goal, but their specific knowledge or expertise may be needed soon. In that case, the Daily Scrum allows the team to do this level of planning. If the work required to accomplish the Sprint Goal changes, it also lets the team replan around this removed or added work.