How to Estimate User Stories Using Planning Poker
Introduction: Understanding User Stories and Estimation
There is a saying in the Agile development world that estimation is more of an art than a science. Sure, experience and professionalism play a significant role, but so does intuition and creativity. At the heart of this fascinating mix is the concept of User Stories. It’s a tool used to capture a description of a feature from the perspective of the end-users. It’s an integral part of effective sprint planning in Agile development.
While estimation may sometimes seem like a mind-boggling task, a technique named Planning Poker has emerged as a promising solution. This strategic method brings a dose of fun and interactive collaboration into the estimating process, facilitating more productive team dialogue and consensus-building on user story scope and scale.
Diving into the World of Planning Poker
Imagine this: You’re sitting around a table with your team, a deck of cards in everyone’s hands. Your task isn’t to place bets or outsmart your opponents. Instead, you’re engaged in a competitive yet friendly game called Planning Poker, aiming to estimate the effort required for user stories in your Agile Sprint.
Derived from the Wideband Delphi estimation method, Planning Poker was created by James Grenning in 2002 and popularized by Mike Cohn in his book, “Agile Estimating and Planning.” It’s not just a technique to determine the complexity of a task, but also a tool to bridge the communication gap within the team.
Exploring the Essence of Planning Poker
Resembling a game of poker, Planning Poker involves each team member making their own independent estimate by selecting a card from their deck. These decks consist of cards with numbers, each representing a complexity point in the Fibonacci sequence (e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so on).
Once all estimates are made, team members reveal their cards simultaneously. The goal isn’t to achieve uniformity, but to spark engaging discussions about the differences in estimates. The idea is for everyone to reconsider their assumptions based on the perspectives of their peers, ultimately reaching a consensus for better sprint planning.
Understanding the Process of Planning Poker
The Planning Poker process follows a set of structured steps intended to foster collaborative estimation and discussion. Here is the usual sequence of events:
- Explanation: The product owner starts by describing a user story to the team. This explanation includes its desired functionality and potential challenges.
- Queries: Team members then discuss and ask questions to clarify their understanding and ensure they have all the necessary information.
- Estimation: Each team member picks a card from their deck that they believe represents the effort required for the user story. This step is done privately, with no discussions or influencing of others’ decisions.
- Reveal: All members simultaneously reveal their cards, showing their estimates.
- Discussion: The biggest and smallest estimates are discussed. The team members providing these estimate extremes explain their rationale and thinking behind it.
- Convergence: Step three to five are repeated until the team reaches a consensus on the estimate.
The process encourages every member to think independently, prevents bandwagoning effects and collective estimation bias and helps ensure every voice gets heard.
Benefits of Planning Poker in User Story Estimation
Planning Poker is praised by numerous Agile teams worldwide, and for good reason. Delving deeper into its advantages elucidates why this method is worth considering:
- Boosts Collaboration & Communication: Planning Poker involves everyone in the estimation process and encourages constructive dialogue. It traces divergent thoughts and catalyzes discussions, leading to a better understanding of the user stories.
- Promotes Fair Play: Silent voting ensures nobody falls prey to group thinking, minimizing biases. It establishes an environment where each vote counts equally, promoting a sense of empowerment and teamwork.
- Enhances Efficiency: By laying a solid foundation for reliable estimations, it helps mitigate scope creep and keeps sprints on schedule. This, in turn, empowers the team to deliver robust software incrementally and sustainably.
- Foments Learning & Knowledge Sharing: Exploring different perspectives during discussions triggers knowledge transfer within the team. This enriches the collective understanding and fosters a culture of continuous learning.
Advice for Mastering Planning Poker
Successfully adopting and implementing Planning Poker in your Agile team requires a thoughtful approach. Let’s explore some practical tips and strategies:
- Focus on Relative Sizes: Planning Poker revolves around relative sizing rather than absolute estimates. A task estimated as twice as large as another doesn’t necessarily mean it will take twice as long. It’s about understanding complexity relative to other tasks.
- Encourage Open Dialogue: Constructive, open-ended conversations are key. Ensure every team member gets equal opportunity to express their views, and foster room for differing opinions.
- Ignore Outliers Initially: Occasionally, some estimates might significantly deviate from the rest. Don’t let initial variations derail the misconception. These differences often offer valuable insights during the discussion phase.
- Remain Patient: Reaching consensus might take time. Respect everyone’s right to voice an opinion, even if it means repeating the process multiple times.
Planning Poker, when thoughtfully employed and practiced, can truly bring out better estimations, leading to increased productivity, more effective sprint planning, and eventually, successful product deliveries.
Conclusion: Embracing the Game of Estimation
Grounded in the principles of collaboration, transparency, and respect, Planning Poker is more than a game—it’s a powerful tool for Agile development teams. It allows them to estimate the effort required for user stories with surprising accuracy, fostering synchronization, facilitating open communication, and promoting the ultimate goal of serving user needs effectively.
By combining these elements with an engaging, game-like approach, Planning Poker breathes new life into the traditionally solitary act of estimation, turning it into a true team sport. So, gather your team, deal the cards, and let the game of estimation begin!
