Backlog grooming meeting template walk-through:

1. What wasn’t completed that needs to be completed? (5 min)

It’s inevitable that things will come up and/or people will face blockers. That’s why it’s important to learn about what’s left to complete from your initial sprint plan and why they’re not complete. During this discussion, determine whether or not your initial time estimates were accurate, and if the uncompleted work can (or should) be pushed to the next sprint.

2. What came up that needs to be fixed? (10 min)

As mentioned in the previous item, things are going to come up. Whether it’s bugs, scope creep, or larger problems that your team runs into, determine the scope of work and prioritize your team’s work during this meeting.

3. What needs to get done to move our platforms forward? What’s the highest priority? (10 min)

Many teams will have a running backlog list or “idea” list that is basically a list of work that should get done to move the team forward. After you’ve filled up your sprint with any incomplete work, bugs, and other problems that come up, go through your backlog and assign those tasks to your team. Set them up for another successful sprint!

4. What’s something that could come down the pipeline that could ruin everything? (5 min)

Ideally there aren’t things to talk about for this item every time you meet. Regardless, it’s important to leave some time at the end of your backlog grooming meeting to allow people to share if there’s anything critical that could prevent the team from having a successful sprint.

Use this agenda template to prioritize and align on what’s outstanding for projects, as well as what’s coming down the pipe for the next sprint.