Kick off the sprint directly by defining the backlog items that need to be considered and tackled in the next sprint. Clarify all the goals and action items to ensure that everyone in the scrum team is clear on his tasks and due dates.
What did we learn from the last sprint?
talking point
Which backlog items were incomplete?
talking point
What is the team committed to in this sprint?
Which product backlog items are to be accomplished this sprint?
[item 1]
Divide product backlog items into smaller deliverables
[Action item]
add notes here
During the sprint planning meeting, the product owner, together with the entire scrum team and the scrum master will first define the bigger picture - the sprint goals. Then, after reviewing the notes from the retrospective meeting from the end of last sprint, the attendees will select a set of product backlog items to complete in this sprint. To make sure that the sprint plan is conceivable, the team should divide the selected items into smaller deliverables with specific assignees.
The sprint planning is a time-boxed event. Generally, it occurs every week and should not exceed 120 minutes each time. The purpose of this meeting is not to make an airtight plan, but to paint a rough picture of what is expected by the end of the sprint. Chances are that changes will take place during the sprint and the team should be prepared to mitigate the impact on the sprint goals.
A product backlog is a to-do list with user stories, including adding new features, improving existing features and other maintenance activities of a product. It should be constantly updated so the Scrum team has a proper base to draw from.
Think of an ideal product as a machine, and the product backlog items as bolts and gears. To create a desired machine, we must 1) make sure the bolts and gears are in place, 2) they are properly lubricated.
So if the desired outcome is to improve the current product, the Scrum team should add new product features into the backlog, and iteratively improve the existing product features.
A complete Scrum process includes the sprint planning, the daily scrum, the sprint review and the sprint retrospective. Sprint planning is the start of each sprint.