A common mistake many Scrum Teams make is to confuse Definition of Done (DoD) with acceptance criteria. As a result, many Scrum Teams do not have a DoD. When Scrum Teams lack a DoD, many common activities they undertake as a team, such as estimation, Product Backlog refinement and Sprint Planning, quickly become unproductive and encourage people to waste time in meetings.
Scrum works best when the Scrum Team makes a clear commitment to quality. In this tune-up, we will walk you through the steps that enable your Scrum Team to make a commitment to quality. We start by creating a DoD that accurately describes the technical work the team can create each Sprint. Next, we identify any impediments which prevent the team from releasing on-demand. By the conclusion of this tune-up, you will walk away with a DoD that has the enthusiastic support of all the Developers!
How We Transform Your DoD in Three Steps
- Carlton schedules a Zoom call with key members of your Scrum Team to learn how the team is structured, understand the type of work they are asked to do and what improvements you would like to see. If your team has an existing DoD, Carlton will review that.
- Carlton then designs a tailored DoD workshop for you and your Scrum Team based on goals you established during your call with him.
- Next, he facilitates a DoD workshop for the Scrum Team and any stakeholders who need to participate.
- In the first part of the workshop, Carlton will share how the DoD is different from acceptance criteria and answer any questions about DoD.
- In the second part, Carlton will facilitate the creation of the DoD with the Scrum Team.
- At the conclusion of the workshop, Carlton will help the team evaluate the quality of their DoD, identify any action items that will strengthen the DoD and schedule any follow-up, if needed.
This tune-up is perfect for:
- Scrum Teams who have persistent issues related to technical quality.
- ScrumMasters, Product Owners, Developers and any other people in the organization who are frustrated by inconsistent estimates.
- ScrumMasters who know the Scrum Team needs a strong DoD, but don’t know how to facilitate the development of one.
Participants will learn how to:
- Create a DoD that has the enthusiastic support of all the Developers.
- Describe the impediments which prevent the Scrum Team from releasing their product on-demand.
- Explain how DoD improves the ability of the Scrum Team to provide accurate estimates.
At the conclusion of this tune-up, your Scrum Team will have a new DoD that will improve the quality of their products and help improve the predictability of their team. That sounds like a win to me!
