Planning poker is a popular agile estimation technique used by software development teams to estimate the effort required to complete a user story or task. It involves each team member using numbered cards to indicate their estimate, with the goal of arriving at a consensus estimate that everyone on the team agrees upon. While planning poker can be a useful tool for teams, it’s not uncommon for teams to encounter some challenges or make mistakes when using it. In this blog, we’ll discuss some of the common mistakes teams make with planning poker and how to remedy them.
- Not properly training team members on the technique
One common mistake teams make with planning poker is not properly training team members on how to use the technique. Planning poker requires team members to understand the concepts of relative estimation and the Fibonacci sequence, which are used to assign point values to user stories or tasks. Without a proper understanding of these concepts, team members may struggle to effectively use the technique, leading to inaccurate estimates and misalignment within the team.
To remedy this, it’s important to ensure that all team members are properly trained on the technique before beginning to use it. This may involve providing an overview of the technique, explaining the concepts of relative estimation and the Fibonacci sequence, and practicing estimation with sample user stories or tasks.
- Not properly defining user stories or tasks
Another common mistake teams make with planning poker is not properly defining user stories or tasks before beginning the estimation process. User stories or tasks that are not properly defined can be difficult to estimate accurately, as team members may not have a clear understanding of the scope and complexity of the work involved.
To remedy this, it’s important to take the time to properly define user stories or tasks before beginning the estimation process. This may involve breaking down larger user stories into smaller, more manageable pieces and ensuring that all necessary information is included in the definition. It may also be helpful to involve the entire team in the process of defining user stories or tasks to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of the work involved.
- Allowing personal biases to influence estimates
Another mistake teams can make with planning poker is allowing personal biases to influence their estimates. For example, a team member who is particularly skilled in a certain area may underestimate the effort required to complete a task, while a team member who is less skilled may overestimate the effort required.
To remedy this, it’s important to encourage team members to set aside their personal biases and focus on the objective criteria when estimating. This may involve discussing the factors that should be considered when making an estimate, such as the complexity of the task, the skills and experience of the team, and the resources available. It may also be helpful to encourage team members to use the technique of “three-point estimation,” which involves providing an optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimate for each task to help account for uncertainty.
- Not allowing enough time for discussion and clarification
Another common mistake teams make with planning poker is not allowing enough time for discussion and clarification. It’s important to remember that the estimation process is not just about arriving at a single number, but also about fostering collaboration and understanding within the team.
To remedy this, it’s important to allow enough time for team members to discuss and clarify any uncertainties or questions they may have about a user story or task. This may involve breaking the estimation process into smaller chunks and allowing time for discussion after each chunk. It may also be helpful to encourage team members to ask questions and clarify any ambiguities before making their estimates.
- Not reviewing and adjusting estimates over time
One common mistake teams make with planning poker is not reviewing and adjusting estimates over time. It’s important to remember that estimates are just that – estimates – and that the actual effort required to complete a task may differ from the initial estimate.
To remedy this, it’s important to review and adjust estimates regularly as the project progresses. This may involve revisiting estimates after completing a chunk of work to see how closely the actual effort matched the initial estimate, and adjusting future estimates accordingly.
Finally, it’s important to remember that estimates are just that – estimates. They are not meant to be set in stone.
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