The Sprint Review is an important Scrum Event in which the Scrum Team shows the stakeholders and other members of the organization the work completed during the Sprint. The Sprint Review’s purpose is to gather feedback on completed work and plan for the next Sprint. The Scrum Master and Product Owner play an important role in facilitating an excellent Sprint Review by ensuring that the event is well-organized and that the team is adequately prepared.
Roles and responsibilities
The Scrum Master’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the Sprint Review is scheduled at the end of each Sprint and that all necessary stakeholders are invited to attend. The Scrum Master should also collaborate closely with the Product Owner to ensure that the team has properly prepared for the Sprint Review, including the creation of clear and concise presentations and the provision of any necessary materials or resources.
The Product Owner also helps to facilitate a great Sprint Review by providing clear and concise feedback on completed work and working closely with the team to plan for the next Sprint. The Product Owner should also be ready to answer stakeholder questions and provide additional information as needed.
The best Sprint Reviews I’ve seen, in my opinion, were led by the Product Owner with assistance from the Developers.
I believe there is a good chance that the Product Owner, as a familiar face to the stakeholders, will tell a good story about the Sprint, its Sprint Goal, and the Product Increment (supported by the Developers). In doing so, the Product Increment is subjected to inspection, and a look ahead to future Sprints is provided. The Product Owner is aware of the long-term vision (the Company Vision/Goals and the Product Vision/Goals).
The Scrum Team should demonstrate the work completed (the Increment) during the Sprint and provide a demonstration of the product’s functionality during the Sprint Review. Stakeholders should also be able to provide feedback on the completed work and ask questions. To ensure that the event runs smoothly and that all necessary information is shared, the Scrum Master and Product Owner should collaborate closely.
Values and principles
When discussing Scrum Events, one thing that always comes to mind is the Scrum Master’s awareness of how the events contribute to empirical process control and the embodiment of the Scrum Values. The Scrum Master can play an important role in ensuring that the Sprint Review adheres to and embodies these values and principles.
The Scrum Values can be embodied in the Sprint Review in the following ways:
- Commitment
- Remind the team of their commitment during the Sprint Review to encourage them to be fully committed to the Sprint and the Sprint Goal. The team should be proud of what they have accomplished, and the Sprint Review is an opportunity to do so. Furthermore, this event should never be canceled;
- Focus
- Keep the Sprint Review on track and avoid distractions to assist the team in remaining focused. The team should be able to answer questions clearly and concisely, as well as provide examples of their work. The event has a time limit;
- Openness
- Encourage open communication, encourage all participants to share their thoughts and feedback, and promote active listening during the Sprint Review to create an open environment;
- Respect
- Respect all participants during the Sprint Review by allowing them to speak and valuing their contributions. All constructive criticism and feedback should be treated with respect, and everyone should feel comfortable sharing their thoughts;
- Courage
- Encourage the team to be open and honest about their work during the Sprint Review. The team should not be afraid to share their accomplishments, and the Scrum Master should encourage the team to be open and honest about their progress and any challenges they encountered. Avoid over-sharing of incomplete work.
The Sprint Review appeals to the three pillars of Empiricism by:
- Transparency
- The Sprint Review promotes transparency by providing all stakeholders with a clear picture of the work completed during the Sprint. This encourages transparency in the development process and keeps everyone on the same page;
- Inspection
- The Sprint Review provides an opportunity for the Scrum Team and stakeholders to inspect the Product Increment and receive feedback and make improvements.
- Adaptation
- The team can adapt their work and plan for the next Sprint based on the feedback and inspection during the Sprint Review. The Sprint Review gives the Scrum Team the opportunity to learn, reflect, and improve.
Some tips
To end the article, some tips to facilitate great Sprint Reviews are:
- Schedule the Sprint Review at the end of each Sprint and invite all required stakeholders. Never, ever skip it!
- Preparation is essential; ensure that the Product Owner and Developers have prepared clear and concise presentations and have all necessary materials or resources.
- Encourage active participation from stakeholders and provide opportunities for feedback.
- Keep an open mind, be willing to make changes, and adapt to feedback when planning the next Sprint.
- Remember that a Sprint Review is about more than just demonstrating what was accomplished; it is also about planning for the future.
Concluding
In conclusion, the Sprint Review is a critical event that allows the Scrum Team to demonstrate the work completed during the Sprint and collect feedback from stakeholders. The Scrum Master and Product Owner play an important role in facilitating an excellent Sprint Review by ensuring that the event is well-organized and that the team is adequately prepared. The Scrum Master and Product Owner can facilitate a fantastic Sprint Review by scheduling it at the end of each Sprint, preparing the team, encouraging active participation, being open to feedback, and planning for the future.