 | Build Events (“Ceremonies”) |
With the Product Backlog well-refined, the PO is ready to propose what work will be tackled in the next sprint. Engaging the Dev Team will begin in sprint planning and continue through the following “ceremonies.”
Sprint Planning
A meeting between the PO and Dev Team to strategically populate an upcoming sprint’s backlog.
Daily Stand-Up
A brief check-in meeting for the Dev Team at the beginning of each day that insures that all progress and potential obstacles remain public, transparent, and therefore accurate.
Sprint Review
A presentation at the conclusion of the sprint that demos and reviews all features produced during the sprint. It is a chance to demonstrate to the team and to any interested stakeholders what has been developed and to get feedback that might affect future directions the team & product might take.
Sprint Retrospective
An internal review in which the team can assess and make changes to its habits, protocols and approaches to the development process.
Why “Ceremonies”?
The thought process behind its coining are not completely clear. Some suggest that the term is being replace by “event.” It would make sense, however, to avoid the word, “meeting,” which may already have too many ideas attached to it. If a company were adopting an agile approach to development in order to change the way all employees approach their work, a fundamental change in culture might be necessary. Most likely, their existing culture is very much expressed and constantly re-affirmed in the ways that meetings are run. Using an alternate word for them allows for an entirely new conceptualization of
- what their function is
- who runs them
- how long they last
- how their objectives are set and measured
These would all be essential considerations in breaking free from a company’s habits and traditions so that an agile approach has a chance of taking root.