Are You Refining Your Backlog Enough (or Too Often)? - Mike Cohn

Hi V. Lee,

Ever felt like your backlog refinement meetings are either way too long or painfully unproductive? You’re not alone.
Backlog refinement can be a game-changer—or a time sink. The difference? How well you understand the purpose.
So, let’s get clear.
 

Refinement is when a team and its product owner look at the top items on the product backlog to make sure each is sufficiently well understood and small enough to be brought into the next sprint.
That means breaking down large items, adding detail, estimating effort, and generally getting your stories “ready” for the team to work on.
Great refinement helps your team:

• Avoid surprises during sprint planning
• Reduce rework due to misunderstood stories
• Deliver value faster, with fewer blocker

• Once per sprint works well for teams that like fewer meetings. Keep in mind that the meeting will be longer, though.
• Once per week can help avoid long, draining sessions—especially if your once-per-sprint meetings are creeping past two hours.

What Is Product Backlog Refinement? How Often Should You Do It?
Most teams will either do a refinement meeting once per sprint or once per week.
 
What I don’t recommend is going beyond that.
I’ve worked with teams in the past that were running 2–3 refinement meetings per week, each an hour or more. Unless your backlog is in serious disarray or your product is unusually complex, that’s overkill.
And remember—refinement doesn’t only happen in meetings. It’s perfectly fine for a product owner and a few team members to huddle up outside the scheduled meeting to split a story or clarify details.
Keep your refinement meetings focused, lightweight, and appropriately timed—and you’ll spend more time delivering value instead of just talking about it. That’s a great way to succeed with agile.

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