Your Easy Guide to Write Great PI Objectives
Scaled Agile (SAFe?) Training by Agilemania
Thriving in the Digital Age with Business Agility!
Hello, Agile practitioners! Welcome to the 11th Edition of our newsletter— The Scaled Agile Press!??? It's an initiative by Agilemania for all the SAFe? practitioners and enthusiasts.
Are you ready to enhance your Program Increment (PI) planning? Let's discuss a crucial element that can significantly impact your PI success: writing effective PI objectives. We've prepared this simple guide to help you craft objectives that will impress your Business Owners and drive real value.
First, let's clarify the purpose of PI objectives. They're not simply a summary of your feature list - that's actually a common misunderstanding. Instead, these objectives represent your team's commitment to delivering value in the upcoming PI. They create an essential feedback loop between your team and the business, ensuring alignment on priorities and desired outcomes.
??So, how do you write objectives that will truly resonate? Here's our advice:
??Embrace the SMART criteria: Make your objectives Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Rather than stating you'll "improve the app," specify what you're improving and how you'll measure that improvement.
??Emphasize outcomes over outputs: Instead of listing features, focus on the business outcomes you're aiming to achieve. Consider the real impact of your work.
??Use business-friendly language: Remember, you're writing these for the Business Owners, not fellow developers. Use terms they'll understand and find relevant.
??Follow this effective formula: [Activity] + [Scope] so that [Beneficiary] have [User Value] to [Business Value]. For example: "Implement a new checkout process so that mobile users have a faster shopping experience to increase conversion rates by 5%."
??Include stretch objectives: These are your ambitious goals. They demonstrate aspiration but come without firm commitments.
During PI planning, start drafting your objectives early in the process. Don't wait until the final moments! As you allocate work into sprints, note potential objectives. This approach gives Business Owners an opportunity to score them and provides a foundation for important negotiations.
Keep in mind that PI objectives aren't immutable. As you progress through the PI, you may need to adjust them. That's perfectly acceptable! Use them as a tool to communicate changes and maintain alignment.
After the PI, Business Owners will evaluate how well you delivered on your objectives. This evaluation isn't just for feedback purposes - it's a crucial part of measuring your team's predictability. In the Agile world, predictability is highly valued.
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There you have it! Your guide to writing PI objectives that will help your Agile Release Train operate more efficiently and effectively. Now, you're ready to create objectives that truly drive value and alignment in your organization.
??Agile Tip of the Week?
Be empathetic towards RTE participants' personal situations and stresses. Conduct pre-sessions, use multiple communication channels, and encourage one-on-one meetings. Bring laughter, reduce stress, and take regular breaks with interactive games during the session.
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