Mastering Planning Poker for Better Agile Planning | iCert Global

Most individuals love playing poker because it is exciting and entertaining. There are numerous varieties, such as Texas Hold'em or 5-Card Draw. But did you know that there is actually a game called Planning Poker that is played by work teams, particularly in Agile and Scrum? Don't worry—you won't have to use real money or poker chips for this exercise!

How do you play Planning Poker?

Teams implement Planning Poker once they have set down all the work that they must accomplish, referred to as the product backlog. The meetings take long, but they save teams time in the long run.

The attendees of this session are the development team, the Product Owner, and the Scrum Master. The Product Owner is reading aloud a task referred to as a user story, and everyone thinks about how long it would take. Each person quietly picks a card with their guess. Then, everyone shows their cards at the same time. If all the cards have the same number, that’s the answer. If not, they talk about why they picked different numbers and vote again. They keep doing this until everyone agrees on one number.

Why are planning poker used by Agile teams?

Planning Poker takes a little getting used to at first. You think, "Why play a game to plan work?" But it actually makes teams commit to task lengths. It also makes the entire team commit to what has to be done and when.

Large tasks are daunting. Therefore, it makes sense to divide them into tiny tasks. Planning Poker assists teams in doing so. Working with tiny pieces, the team can estimate the effort of each individual task. This makes planning the whole project easier.

Positive Points of Planning Poker

Planning Poker helps everyone on the team agree on how long the task will take. This is very helpful, but there are other advantages as well.

• Supports Task Size: At times, it is hard to estimate the task duration, particularly if it is an innovative task. After teams have practiced Planning Poker a few times, they can utilize previous tasks to make more accurate estimations.

•Helps Plan Team Size: Teams have the option to determine how many individuals should work on each task. This avoids the problem of having too many or too few individuals for a task.

• Makes Everyone Feel Important: Everyone can contribute to Planning Poker. When individuals feel listened to, they invest more in their work. With more ideas, issues are identified earlier.

• Fosters Team Spirit: When individuals assist in making the plan, they feel a sense of ownership. They will work extra hard to finish the project because they helped make the plan.

Is there anything wrong?

Like anything, Planning Poker has its flaws :

• Information Missing: At times the team is in agreement about the plan but lacks full information. That most often results in making incorrect assumptions regarding time or work.

• Strong Voices Can Take Over: A loud or bossy team member might push others to agree with them. That can hurt the plan.

• Excessive Optimism: Teams may feel that they are able to complete work quicker than they actually are. It is simple to take on more work than they are capable of.

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Conclusion

Planning Poker facilitates collaboration between teams, more effective planning, and better decision-making. Planning Poker decomposes large tasks into smaller ones and assists all the members in presenting their views. For more details about Agile and tools such as Planning Poker, iCert Global can assist you with the proper courses to enhance and excel in your corporate career.

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