You might wonder why teams don’t just use hours to measure work. Story points are better because they focus on the size of the task, not how long it takes. This helps avoid arguments about exact time and lets teams think about the work itself.
When you play planning poker, each team member picks a card that shows how big they think a task is. Then everyone talks about why they chose their card. This helps the team understand the task better and come to an agreement on its size.
Key Takeaways
- Planning poker uses special cards to help teams estimate work size together
- Story points measure effort and complexity instead of time
- The game encourages team discussion and agreement on task estimates
Understanding Planning Poker
Planning Poker is a popular technique for estimating effort in agile software development. It uses a collaborative approach to arrive at consensus-based estimates for user stories or tasks. Teams use special cards to vote on estimates in a fun, engaging process.
Origins of Planning Poker
Planning Poker was created by James Grenning in 2002 and later popularized by Mike Cohn. It emerged as a way to make agile estimating more accurate and team-oriented. The method draws inspiration from the Wideband Delphi technique, which gathers expert opinions to reach consensus.
Planning Poker aims to reduce individual biases and encourage team discussion. It quickly gained traction in the agile community due to its effectiveness and simplicity. The use of Fibonacci numbers for estimating was introduced to reflect the increasing uncertainty with larger estimates.
The Basics of Planning Poker
In Planning Poker, you use a deck of cards with values based on the Fibonacci sequence (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, etc.). Each team member gets a set of these cards. The process starts with the product owner presenting a user story or task to estimate.
Team members then privately choose a card representing their estimate. Everyone reveals their cards at the same time. If estimates differ, you discuss the reasons behind your choices. This step is crucial for sharing knowledge and uncovering hidden complexities.
After discussion, you vote again until you reach agreement. The final estimate becomes the story points assigned to that item. This approach helps create more accurate estimates and builds shared understanding within the team.
Roles Involved in Planning Poker
Several key roles participate in Planning Poker sessions:
- Product Owner: Presents and clarifies user stories
- Scrum Master: Facilitates the session and keeps it on track
- Development Team: Provides estimates based on their expertise
The Product Owner describes each item to be estimated. They answer questions and provide details to help the team understand the requirements.
Your Scrum Master guides the process, ensuring everyone participates and discussions remain productive. They may also track time and move things along if debates become too lengthy.
As a member of the Development Team, you contribute your technical insights and vote on estimates. Your role is crucial in identifying potential challenges and effort required for each item.
Preparation for Planning Poker Session
Getting ready for a planning poker session takes some careful setup. You’ll need the right materials, environment, and team roles in place for smooth estimation.
Necessary Materials
You’ll want to gather a few key items before starting:
- A deck of planning poker cards for each team member
- User stories written on index cards or displayed digitally
- A timer to keep the session on track
- Whiteboard or digital board to record estimates
- Pens and sticky notes for capturing ideas
Make sure you have enough cards for everyone. A standard deck has values like 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, 40, and 100. Some teams add a “?” card for very uncertain items.
Setting the Stage
Pick a quiet room with enough space for your team. Set up chairs in a circle or U-shape, so everyone can see each other. Put the user stories where all can view them.
Create a relaxed mood. Bring snacks or drinks if you’d like. Make sure you won’t be interrupted.
Block off enough time – about 1-2 hours for a typical session. You don’t want to feel rushed.
Participant Roles and Responsibilities
You’ll need these key players:
Product Owner: Explains user stories and answers questions
Scrum Master: Facilitates the session and keeps things moving
Development Team: Provides estimates based on their expertise
The product owner starts by reading a user story. Team members ask questions to clarify. Then everyone picks a card to estimate the story’s complexity.
If estimates differ, people explain their reasoning. The goal is to reach agreement through discussion.
Conducting a Planning Poker Session
Planning poker sessions bring teams together to estimate tasks collaboratively. This approach leads to more accurate estimates and builds shared understanding.
The Estimation Process
You start by presenting a user story or task to the team. Each team member gets a set of cards with numbers that represent story points. These numbers often follow the Fibonacci sequence.
Team members pick a card that matches their estimate for the task’s effort. They keep their choice hidden until everyone is ready.
On a signal, all team members reveal their cards at once. This prevents people from being swayed by others’ estimates.
If estimates vary widely, you discuss the reasons behind the differences. This helps uncover misunderstandings or hidden complexities in the task.
Facilitating Discussion
A moderator guides the planning poker session. They make sure everyone gets a chance to share their thoughts.
You ask team members with high and low estimates to explain their reasoning. This sparks valuable discussions about the task’s details and potential challenges.
The moderator keeps the conversation focused and productive. They might ask questions like:
- What assumptions are we making?
- Are there any risks we haven’t considered?
- How does this compare to similar tasks we’ve done before?
These questions help the team explore different viewpoints and reach a shared understanding.
Reaching Consensus
After discussion, you have another round of estimation. Team members can change their estimates based on what they’ve learned.
If there’s still disagreement, you continue discussing and re-estimating until you reach consensus. Sometimes, you might settle on a range of points instead of a single number.
The goal is to agree on an estimate that reflects the team’s collective wisdom. This shared estimate helps with sprint planning and setting realistic expectations.
Remember, the exact number matters less than the conversations and insights gained during the process. Planning poker builds team alignment and improves future estimations.
Integrating with Agile Frameworks
Planning poker fits well into different agile approaches. It helps teams size work and plan more effectively. Let’s look at how it works with Scrum and other methods.
Planning Poker in Scrum
In Scrum, planning poker is a key part of sprint planning. You use it to estimate product backlog items. The Scrum team meets to review user stories. Each team member gets a deck of cards with story point values.
The product owner explains a backlog item. Team members then pick a card to show their estimate. If estimates differ, you talk about why. This helps uncover hidden work or risks. You keep going until you agree on a size.
Planning poker helps Scrum teams:
- Build shared understanding
- Bring out different views
- Size work relative to other items
Adjusting for Kanban and Other Agile Methodologies
While planning poker comes from Scrum, you can use it in other agile methods too. In Kanban, you might use it to size work items as they enter the backlog. This helps with flow planning.
For Kanban teams, you can:
- Hold sizing sessions as needed
- Use story points or t-shirt sizes
- Focus on relative sizing
In any agile method, planning poker builds team unity. It gets everyone involved in estimating. This leads to more accurate plans and better teamwork.
You can adjust the process to fit your needs. Some teams use online tools for remote planning poker. Others mix it with other sizing methods. The key is to keep it simple and useful for your team.
Story Points vs. Time Estimation
Story points and time estimates are two ways to gauge work in Agile projects. Both help teams plan and track progress, but they have different focuses and benefits.
Benefits of Using Story Points
Story points measure work complexity instead of time. This lets teams focus on the task itself rather than schedules. You can use story points to compare different tasks and see how much effort they need.
Story points take into account many factors like:
- Task difficulty
- Unknowns and risks
- Amount of work
Teams often use planning poker to assign story points. This fun group activity helps reach agreement on estimates.
Story points stay constant over time. A 5-point task today will be about the same size next month. This makes long-term planning easier.
Comparing Story Points and Time Estimates
Time estimates predict how long a task will take. Story points look at relative size and complexity. Here’s a quick comparison:
Time Estimates:
- Measured in hours or days
- Can change based on who does the work
- May lead to pressure to work faster
Story Points:
- Use abstract units (often Fibonacci numbers)
- Stay the same no matter who does the work
- Focus on task size, not speed
Time estimates might seem more precise. But they often miss hidden complexities. Story points account for these unknowns better.
You can use both methods together. Story points help with planning. Time estimates can then refine schedules as you learn more.
Estimation Techniques and Considerations
Planning poker uses various techniques to estimate story points. Teams can choose different methods and scales to suit their needs. Adjusting estimates helps improve accuracy over time.
Understanding the Fibonacci Sequence and Estimation
The Fibonacci sequence is a popular scale for story point estimation. It uses numbers like 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so on. This sequence helps teams see clear differences between estimates.
You’ll find it easier to distinguish between a 5-point and an 8-point story than between a 5-point and a 6-point story. The gaps get bigger as the numbers increase, reflecting the growing uncertainty in larger estimates.
When you use Fibonacci numbers, you avoid getting stuck on small differences. It pushes you to make meaningful distinctions between story sizes.
Other Estimation Methods
While Fibonacci is common, other methods exist for story point estimation:
- Linear scale: Using simple numbers like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
- T-shirt sizes: Assigning XS, S, M, L, XL to stories.
- Power of 2: Using 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 as estimation values.
Wideband Delphi is another technique where experts make anonymous estimates. They discuss and revise until they reach agreement. This method can be useful for complex projects.
Your team might also use relative sizing. You compare new stories to ones you’ve already completed. This can make estimation faster and more consistent.
Adjusting Estimates During Iterations
Your estimates will likely change as you work through sprints. It’s normal and helpful to adjust them.
Keep track of your team’s velocity – the number of story points completed per sprint. Use this information to refine future estimates.
If you consistently overestimate or underestimate, discuss it in your retrospectives. Look for patterns and adjust your approach.
Remember, story points are about relative size, not exact time. As you complete more stories, you’ll get better at estimating their relative complexity.
Don’t be afraid to re-estimate stories if new information comes to light. Agile is about adapting, and that includes your estimates.
Challenges and Best Practices
Planning poker has some tricky spots, but there are ways to make it work better. Let’s look at common issues and tips to improve the process.
Common Pitfalls in Planning Poker
One big problem is when team members don’t speak up. This can lead to wrong estimates. Some people might think their ideas aren’t important, or they’re worried about looking bad.
Another issue is when one person’s opinion carries too much weight. This often happens with senior team members or managers. It can make others afraid to share different views.
Teams sometimes rush through the process. This can result in poor estimates and missed details. It’s important to take enough time for each story.
Misunderstanding story points is also common. Some teams try to link them directly to time, which isn’t their purpose. This can lead to inaccurate planning.
Enhancing the Effectiveness of Planning Poker
To make planning poker better, start by setting clear rules. Make sure everyone knows how the process works and what story points mean.
Create a safe space for all team members to share their thoughts. Encourage quieter folks to speak up. This helps get more viewpoints and leads to better estimates.
Use real cards instead of just raising hands. This stops people from changing their votes based on others’ choices.
Break down big stories into smaller ones. This makes them easier to understand and estimate. It also helps spot risks early.
Do regular check-ins on your estimates. Compare them to actual results. This helps you get better at estimating over time.
Try using planning poker for more than just story points. You can use it for risk assessment or prioritizing tasks too.
Tools and Software Support for Planning Poker
Many digital tools make planning poker easy for teams to use. These tools help with estimating tasks and integrate with project management software.
Digital Solutions for Remote Teams
Planning poker apps let remote teams estimate tasks together. PokerPlanning.org is a free, open-source tool for story point estimates. It works well for global teams. Thunderdome.dev offers a free hosted service without ads. You can also run it on your own server.
Scrum Poker Online provides a free tool for planning poker sessions. You can start a session and invite team members to join using a room ID. This makes it simple to discuss user stories and estimate as a group.
Integrating Planning Poker with Project Management Software
Planning Poker apps often connect with project management tools. The top Planning Poker app for Jira lets you estimate tasks, subtasks, and epics. You can use story points, T-shirt sizes, or custom values.
Jira integration helps your cross-functional team track estimates alongside other project details. This makes it easier to plan sprints and daily standups. Some apps also offer real-time updates, so your whole team stays in sync during estimation sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Planning poker raises many common questions about its implementation and benefits. Teams want to know how to use it effectively and why it’s valuable for estimating work.
How do you estimate story points with planning poker?
In planning poker, team members use numbered cards to vote on story point estimates. The product owner explains a user story. Then each person silently chooses a card with their estimate. All cards are revealed at once. If estimates differ, the team discusses reasons and votes again. This continues until the group reaches agreement.
What are the advantages of using planning poker over assigning hours directly in Agile?
Planning poker focuses on relative size rather than exact time. This avoids anchoring bias from hour estimates. It encourages team discussion to align understanding. Story points are more flexible as velocity changes. Teams can estimate faster without getting stuck on precise hours.
Can planning poker be effectively conducted with remote or distributed teams?
Yes, planning poker works well for remote teams. Many online tools exist to facilitate virtual sessions. These allow distributed voting and discussion. Video calls help remote members participate fully. With the right setup, remote planning poker can be just as effective as in-person.
What are the typical card sequences used in planning poker, and how are they assigned?
Common sequences include Fibonacci (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21) and modified Fibonacci (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20). Some teams use powers of 2 (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32). The sequence grows exponentially to reflect increasing uncertainty with larger estimates. Teams assign meanings to each value based on their past work.
How can story points be mapped to actual time in a sprint using planning poker?
Story points don’t directly map to time. Instead, teams track their velocity – how many points they complete per sprint. This average helps predict future sprint capacity. For example, if a team averages 30 points per 2-week sprint, they can plan about 30 points of work for the next sprint.
What steps are taken during a planning poker session to ensure accurate estimation?
The product owner clearly explains each story. Team members ask questions to understand requirements. Estimators consider all factors like complexity and risk. Low and high estimators share their reasoning to uncover hidden issues. The team re-estimates after discussion. Comparing to past stories helps maintain consistency.
