How backlog refinements can cut planning from hours to minutes

Have you ever experienced planning sessions that take forever, with task details established on the fly, and most of the team waiting for their turn? Here’s how backlog refinements allowed us to shorten planning and make it a mere formality. 

The problem 

Previously, my experience with planning was that it served as a starting point for deciding what the team would focus on in the upcoming sprint. Team members would create and estimate tasks on the spot, which often led to spending the entire day identifying dependencies and determining what could be accomplished. 

But what was our real problem? It was the backlog itself: 

• it didn’t reflect current business needs (priorities), 

• Definition of Done (DoD) and Acceptance Criteria (AC) were missing or unclear (scope), 

• tasks were not estimated (capacity). 

It was simply NOT ready for planning. 

And that’s the point where backlog refinement comes and changes the game… 

But what is backlog refinement? 

Backlog refinement is a continuous process that revolves around answering the fundamental question: “What?” It’s the process of reviewing, updating, and prioritizing backlog items to ensure they are well-defined and ready for upcoming sprints. This process is essential in aligning the team with the project’s goals, providing clarity on the scope, and ensuring that no critical details are overlooked. 

For agile teams, backlog refinement is particularly important because the team collectively commits to the sprint’s goals. In a fast-paced environment where priorities can shift, backlog refinement helps ensure that tasks are not only prioritized but also clearly understood. The scope and task assignments can change, and refinement helps ensure the team is always prepared for whatever direction the project takes or unforeseen events, such as a team member falling ill. 

Tips for effective backlog refinements 

• balance detail: avoid overloading with details to keep the meeting dynamic and engaging, 

• flexibility over time-boxing: no need to always follow a strict time-boxed format; adapt based on the current project scope and needs,

• prepare in advance: come in ready with an agenda and backlog items, so you don’t waste time, 

• encourage engagement: rotate the facilitator role based on the topic; encourage team members to participate actively and ask if the DoD of the task is understood,

• shared responsibility: cultivate a team culture where everyone contributes to maintaining the backlog – a well-kept backlog should be a collective habit, not a one-person job. 

When the backlog is well-refined, sprint planning becomes simple: just pull in the right items and commit to delivering them.