Day 12: Backlog Grooming
Bexs Nelson, PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM
PMO & Operations Expert with Measured Results | PMP, PMI-ACP, CSM | I help Customer Service Reps transition to joy in Project Management Careers
I don't know about you, but #humpdaywednesday came up quickly for me. Daily sprints are up and rolling now for us in our #JSLPM. Did you decide on your quirky way of ending your daily meetings yet? It sort of becomes a war cry if you aren't careful!
Today we are going to be covering a topic that isn't as time-sensitive but should still be done periodically. That is Backlog Grooming. And no, it has nothing to do with #petgrooming or the #lumberjackskills. Although you will get style points if this is how you end your #dailyscrum:
As previously covered, Backlog Grooming?is a sit down with our spouse or mentor (stakeholders) at regular intervals to go through work not done. The goal is to remove work that isn't productive or necessary.
This doesn’t have to happen every week, but the more regularly it happens the better. The goal is to omit work that doesn't really have a high impact on your day today. These are the items that sit at the bottom of the to-do list.* If we are honest, we all have plenty of cool ideas but not all of them are productive.
What you need to do is sit down with someone else preferably and talk through your backlog items. I do this with my partner. I also keep this intentionally separate from the #retrospectives.
This session does take a bit of prep work on your part. Before sitting down for the half-hour, which I would suggest limiting time to, go through your backlog. Make sure each task has a user story tied to it (in this case our values and #JobSearchCharter) and if not serving one of those overarching goals, notate as such.
Then combine similar tasks together. This will make it easier to spot redundancies. I know when you spot them you are going to want to immediately fix them.
Don't.
Having your partner be part of the process and admitting to them there is a redundancy invites not only a fresh perspective but gives them the option to do more than just sit on the sidelines of your job search. Most partners who have lives that are going to be directly impacted by your choices, want and should be given a chance to contribute.
If you are finding your values are too broad, go to the user stories. Break them down further if you need to to get the level of clarity you will need for decision-making. Assign time estimates to tasks if you haven't already so you can compare minutes of work to minutes of work. This helps you see where the value for effort lies and makes it easier to part ways with a favorite, but non-productive part of the project.
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Questions we go through are:
Then we cut it down to size from there. Doing this periodically is a form of freedom. You have weighed those tasks and found them too unproductive to warrant further time and effort. You just bought yourself mental clarity. The same feeling you get from writing tasks you've already done on your around-the-house to-do list, just so you could cross them out but this time it's not cheating. This can be a huge weight off your shoulders and will feel like those rare Saturdays when friends cancel your plans together with them. ***
Tomorrow we are going to talk about another Sprint Ceremony called #SprintReview. I will see you all there. If you are new scroll down to find the links!
Bexs
*I really wish there was a genie that inhabited list forms. Why do they invest so heavily in bottle-only options?
**I admit, there are some tasks I really want to do but they aren't effective for my bigger goals.
*** One of the best feelings in adulthood is a suddenly free afternoon. You cannot change my mind.
Links and Past Posts:
Templates and Forms:
Sales leader | SaaS - B2B - B2C | MBA | Data Analysis
2 年My fav part is the one about including our partners, it gives a clearer idea about what the family needs, not just what you want. Love it!