Agile Ceremonies

We have already mentioned Agile ceremonies in the previous chapters, so let's now discuss them in more detail here.

Sprint Planning

Sprint planning is the ceremony where the team decides what work will be completed during the upcoming sprint. The meeting is typically attended by the entire Scrum team: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Development Team.

Sprint planning typically lasts for about 2 hours per week of sprint duration (e.g., a 2-week sprint would have a 4-hour planning meeting). Its outcome is a committed sprint backlog and a clear sprint goal that guides the team throughout the sprint.

Daily Stand-ups

The daily stand-up, also known as the daily Scrum, is a short, time-boxed meeting (usually 15 minutes) held every day of the sprint. It is designed to synchronize the team's activities and identify any impediments to progress.

As mentioned above, the daily stand-up is strictly time-boxed to 15 minutes. Its outcome is a shared understanding of progress and any challenges, ensuring that the team remains aligned and can swiftly address any issues.

Sprint Review

The sprint review is a meeting held at the end of the sprint to inspect the increment and adapt the product backlog if needed. It is an opportunity for the team to demonstrate the work completed during the sprint to Stakeholders.

The sprint review usually lasts about 1 hour per week of sprint duration (e.g., a 2-week sprint would have a 2-hour review meeting). Its outcome is a refined product backlog and valuable feedback from Stakeholders, which helps guide the next sprint.

Sprint Retrospective

The sprint retrospective is a ceremony held at the end of the sprint, after the sprint review. It is a time for the team to reflect on their processes and identify areas for improvement.

The sprint retrospective typically lasts for about 45 minutes to 1 hour per week of sprint duration (e.g., a 2-week sprint would have a 1.5 to 2-hour retrospective). Its outcome is a set of actionable improvements that the team will implement in the next sprint, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.