Have you ever wondered what a great kick-off for a new Scrum Team looks like? If you are working as a professional Agile Coach or Scrum Master, chances are that one day you will be working with a new Scrum Team from the very beginning. Some people expect this to be a no-brainer and just start sprinting together. Even though that might work, you can save yourself a lot of trouble and prevent many issues from arising with an appropriate start. In addition to that, your job as an Agile Coach is to “Give [the team] the environment and support they need” (Agile Manifesto). By organizing a proper Kick-Off for the team, you are doing exactly that. Consequently, you might want to read through this practical guide before you start a new team. A great Kick-Off for an amazing Scrum Team follows these steps:
- Invite for a Kick-Off Meeting
- Socialize
- Explain “Agile”
- Clarify roles
- Schedule Scrum Events
- Discuss Tooling
- Agree on Estimation & Metrics
- Create your Definition of Done
- Conduct a Refinement
- Start Sprint
Balancing Alignment and Initiative
Those steps will help you build a solid foundation for the upcoming weeks of collaboration to come. This foundation is not meant to be a set-in-stone blueprint of how the team needs to operate. It serves as a lean reference point from where the team can evolve to higher performance. So, do not overdo it! You will need to find a balance between having no explicit agreement at all and trying to cover every eventuality in a team rule.
Also, make sure to start your Sprint by the end of the Kick-Off – no matter what. If you could not clarify every topic during your Kick-Off, chances are that you will not clear them any time soon. So, do not use your incomplete Kick-Off to procrastinate and postpone your Sprint start. It will drain all your momentum and waste time. Because, the best way to finish a project sooner is to start earlier. Therefore, read my article “Start being agile before you are ready!“, if you feel not ready yet.
Notice: Throughout this blog series, You will be able to click each of these steps and find a more detailed explanation of the Purpose of it and your Actions as a Coach in it. So sign up for the newsletter and stay tuned!
Key Takeaways
- A great Kick-Off can save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run
- Keep your Kick-Off lean, but cover the basic principles for collaboration
- Start your Sprint by the end of your Kick-Off – no matter what.
