Sprint goals are objectives to be achieved during that particular sprint. These sprint goals offer purpose and direction for the agile teams. The sprint goals set by the scrum master are bounded by time, so they should be realistic and relevant. The product owner develops these sprint goals during sprint planning. These sprint goals encourage teams to work together on the product backlog until they reach the objective. At times, scrum teams will miss their goals, and it will impact project progress. The current article explains the reasons for missed sprints and discusses how the SAFe scrum master can address them.
How will the Sprint Goal Work?
Both the scrum master and product owner work together to finalise the sprint goal. At the planning stage, the teams will choose the product backlog to work on and support the sprint goal. These sprint goals help the teams stay focused and work towards a common objective. While working on a sprint, the development team members will collaborate with each other to achieve their sprint goal. These scrum meetings help the teams to monitor the progress throughout the sprint. Also, Scrum meetings will help the team identify areas for improvement. To know issues of the scrum team and handle them effectively, the scrum master should start the SSM Certification Course.
Reasons for Failure of Sprint Goals
Unrealistic Sprint Goals
Setting an unrealistic sprint goal is the most common reason for teams missing their sprint goals. The scrum master may set heavy commitment when there is pressure from the product owner or the scrum master to deliver more. It may happen when the scrum master doesn’t have a clear understanding of the team’s capacity. Without realistic assessments of non-development activities from the teams, the teams will fail to achieve sprint goals.
Shifting Requirements
The business can become agile by adapting to change and developing products that meet customer needs. If requirements shift frequently or change mid-sprint, the team will not be able to achieve its sprint goals. Product backlogs brought into sprints should include clear requirements, so the team doesn’t waste time seeking clarification from the scrum master. The team will fail to achieve their goals on time.
Unresolved Impediments
Even a well-trained agile team fails to achieve its sprint goal if it is stopped by obstacles beyond its control. The impediments to achieving the sprint goals could range from a delayed decision to dependence on an external team. It could also be a technical issue that needs expert help. Unresolved impediments can become bottlenecks to achieving sprint goals.
Stakeholders Don’t Protect Focus
Sprint goals are time-bound, and the development team needs to focus on achieving them. Many organisations will disturb the team’s focus through meetings and by requesting unplanned work. When stakeholders disturb the team’s focus, it reduces the team’s attention and productivity. If the team frequently work on tasks beyond their sprint goals, they lose the ability to focus on the actual work.
How will the Scrum Master fix them?
Identify the Root cause of the Problem
Before finding solutions, the scrum master should know the root cause of the problem. They will work on identifying whether the sprint goals are overcommitted or whether there are too many unplanned tasks in the sprint. The scrum master will look into aspects such as technical debt and collaboration. Scrum masters will also know if there are any skill gaps or a need for additional training for the team.
Take Necessary Action
After identifying the reason behind the failure of the sprint goal, the scrum master takes necessary action based on the problem identified.
Overcommitment
The sprint goals should adapt to the changing requirements of the customer, so the scrum master sets 10%-20% of the team’s capacity to handle last-minute jobs. The scrum master makes the stakeholder accountable for the delay if they are disturbing the team frequently. The scrum
Skill Gap
If the scrum master identifies the skill gap in the team as a reason for missing sprint goals, they will encourage senior team members to share knowledge with others. They will also ask team members to enrol in the skill-building programme or any training if needed.
Lack of Collaboration
Lack of collaboration among team members is another prominent reason teams fail to achieve their sprint goals. The scrum master can fix these collaboration issues between the team members through daily check-ins. They will encourage team members to talk about bottlenecks that are stopping their progress. They will conduct retrospectives to gain honest feedback from the team members and help them achieve their goals.
External Dependencies
If the scrum master knows that external dependencies are stopping the progress of the team in achieving sprint goals, they will try to manage these dependencies. The scrum master will identify blockers even before the sprint starts. They will set clear expectations for external team members and manage the team dependencies effectively.
Conclusion
The teams rarely fail to achieve their sprint goals due to laziness. Many times, teams fail to achieve their goals due to a lack of clarity on their sprint goals. The scrum master can help the teams achieve their goals by recognising issues before they impact project progress. By addressing the issues transparently, the scrum master can build a productive team.
