Sprint Planning

A quick scroll through any tech-focused LinkedIn feed and you’ll know this: running a Sprint Planning Meeting is as much an art as it is a science. It's the golden opportunity to chart the course for your sprints, delegate tasks, and set specific goals for each team member.

But truth be told, it's not always a walk in the park. Chaos, lack of organization, time constraints, you name it – all potential hitches. That's why today we'll delve into how to streamline your Sprint Planning Meeting with the secret sauce that is Claap.

What is a Sprint Planning Meeting?

Just a quick run-through for those new to the Agile world (we see you and welcome you with open arms). A Sprint Planning Meeting is like your pre-match strategy huddle. It's when your team gets together (remotely or in person) to plot out the course for the upcoming sprint.

You identify what you want to accomplish, who’s doing what, and set some sweet, sweet goals for everyone. It's usually held at the beginning of every sprint, so you can hit the ground running.

Why should I have a Sprint Planning Meeting?

Imagine launching into a sprint without a game plan? Exactly, it's a bit like driving with a blindfold on – not the best idea. Whether you're working remotely, in an office, or some fancy combination of both, Sprint Planning Meetings are essential to aligning your team.

They ensure everyone’s on the same page, steering clear of potential roadblocks and racing towards your goals. This powwow is your team's chance to define, refine, and align on the most efficient path forward.

Doing it live: How to supercharge your Sprint Planning Meeting

Live Sprint Planning Meetings can be an energy-infused, idea-generating opportunity. Everyone's in the (virtual or physical) room, bouncing ideas off each other, getting instant feedback, and making real-time decisions.

But let's be honest, it's not always so easy. Live meetings can descend into chaos without clear indication of who is responsible for what and full accountability. Here's where Claap hops into the fray.

Recording your meeting with Claap allows you to create an easy to use hub for every video your business ever records. Instead of a series of URLs buried in your email and super long videos you'll never watch, you get more easily digestible meeting recordings with highlights of the best bits, automated transcripts and AI-generated next steps.

IF YOU USE GOOGLE MEET:

1. Click on the extension

Make sure you’ve downloaded our Chrome extension and you’ll have a new record button in your Google Meet. Important: You don’t need to be the organizer to start recording the meeting but make sure to name someone in charge of it that is also going to highlight key moments.

2. Highlight/pin key moments to help people catchup easily

Whenever something important happens and you want to leave a reminder to rewatch a certain section, whoever started the recording can click on the pin icon on the control panel and mark timestamps that’ll appear in your final recording. Discussing sensitive information you’d rather not record? It’s easy to pause and unpause your meeting any time using the icons in the control panel too.

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3. Share your claap

Once your meetings over, share the link to your recording or invite your teammates from your workspace. We recommend creating a dedicated topic with your team so anyone can easily find the recording without having to invite people every time.

4. Read the transcript and leave comments

If someone said something interesting in the meeting and you want to find that moment, all you have to do is check the transcript. Every claap is transcribed automatically so you can find the important moments faster. Then you and your team can leave comments, create threads, and collaborate directly from the recording.

IF YOU USE ZOOM:

1. Record the meeting using Zoom

When you start your meeting, click the “Record” button in the control panel. When your meeting finishes, it’ll automatically be saved into your Zoom account, ready to be uploaded into Claap.

‍2. Connect your Zoom account

Easily import your recordings into dedicated topics and start collaborating on all your Zoom meetings. Just click on the “Upload video” option and then click on the Zoom icon. You’ll then be able to choose from all your Zoom recordings and bring in the videos you need.

‍3. Read the transcript and leave comments

Just like meeting recordings, all your screen recordings are transcribed automatically. That means your team get to find the moments they need faster. Once you know the areas you want to tackle, you and your team can leave comments, create threads, and collaborate directly from the recording.

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When you can’t make it: How to have an asynchronous Sprint Planning Meeting

Let's paint a picture: your top developer is in Sydney, your UX designer in Berlin, and your project manager in New York. Scheduling a live meeting feels like solving a Rubik's Cube. Fear not, that's where the beauty of asynchronous meetings comes in.

With Claap, you can record your meetings, annotate video content, and leverage AI-powered notes to ensure nothing gets lost in translation (or time zones).

Recording your meeting means your team can view it at their convenience, gain insights, and contribute on their own time. And with Claap's video annotation feature, they can add comments or ask questions directly on the video timeline. It's like being there, but without the pesky jetlag.

Sometimes, team members may not be able to attend a live Sprint Retrospective Meeting. In these cases, an asynchronous meeting can be a powerful tool.

START YOUR RECORDING:

Download either the Chrome extension or desktop app. Then all you have to do is click on the Claap icon to name your video, adjust your settings, and start recording.

DURING THE RECORDING:

We feel you… recording yourself can be a bit daunting even if it’s just your screen. Here’s some of our top tips to come in confident, efficient AND effective.

1. Start with the goal and briefly explain what you’re going to say in one or two sentences. It helps people follow you easily.
2. Dive into details. Don’t forget to zoom in if it’s something more visual so it’s easy to watch. You don’t want people squinting at their screen.
3. Pin key moments when you expect feedback so people can react easily. People often forget to make it clear what they expect.
4. Share it in Slack, Notion, or in a topic‍ to keep your centralized spaces centralized. All you have to do is paste the link and it populates automatically.

NOTE: If this is a recurring meeting with multiple stakeholders, we recommend using a dedicated topic where you can organize your video content.

COMMENTING TIPS:

1. Don’t forget to mention people if you expect precise feedback. We like to add “FYI” in front of messages that don’t need any response.
2. If you need feedback from many stakeholders, use polls. Nobody is going to read comment threads that go on forever. Keep things simple and get everyone involved.
3. If you need more precise feedback, use file attachments or video replies. It’ll help you save a lot of back and forth.
4. If you need to reply quickly to feedback you get, we recommend installing the Claap App in Slack so you receive and reply to comments directly from there.

How to have sync and async Sprint Planning Meetings together

Now, you may be thinking, "why not both?" And you'd be on the money. Mixing synchronous and asynchronous meetings can be the golden ticket to Sprint Planning success. Start by recording key sprint updates or ideas on Claap and share them with the team ahead of the live meeting.

This way, everyone comes prepared, discussions are more productive, and you make the most of your time together.

HOW TO COMBINE SYNC AND SYNC:

1. Start with a preview to share retro outcomes and identify hot topics:
   • Use Claap's screen recording to post your retro. Send it to your teammates so they can watch it and add comments.
   • Comments help identify where a longer discussion is needed. Use unresolved threads to prepare your next meeting agenda.
   • Tip: Click on 📶 Views to check that all your teammates have watched your update
2. Followup with a meeting to brainstorm key topics: If anyone missed your meeting or if anybody needs to remind themselves of something that was said, recording your meetings with Claap keeps a trackable log of everything you’ve seen, said, and heard. Discuss unresolved threads in followup meetings and only invite people that are involved to keep the discussion efficient.‍
3. Share the meeting recording: This way, action items are easily shared with other stakeholders. And if a decision isn’t clear, they can access the discussion to quickly get context and ask questions.

Sprint Planning Meeting Agenda

1. Pre-Meeting Prep (Asynchronous - Pre-recorded on Claap)

‍Duration: Not applicable

This isn't part of the live meeting, but it's a crucial step. Pre-record your thoughts on the upcoming sprint's objectives and tasks using Claap. Share the recording with your team so they come to the meeting prepared. This step should ideally take place a day or two before the actual meeting.

Achievement:Ensure everyone has the context and is on the same page about the upcoming sprint's broad goals.

2. Meeting Kick-Off (Synchronous)
‍Duration: 5 minutes

Start the live meeting with a quick summary of the pre-recorded content and an overview of what needs to be achieved during the meeting. Ensure everyone has had the chance to watch the pre-recorded Claap and review any attached documents or notes.

Achievement:Set the stage for a productive meeting and confirm everyone has done their homework.

3. Sprint Goals Discussion (Synchronous)
‍Duration: 10 minutes

Discuss the main goals for the upcoming sprint based on the pre-meeting Claap and any comments or questions that came up. Collaboratively refine and finalize these goals.

Achievement:Establish clear and concise goals that everyone agrees on for the upcoming sprint.

4. Task Breakdown and Delegation (Synchronous)
‍Duration: 10 minutes

Break down the sprint goals into actionable tasks and delegate them among the team. Encourage team members to voice any concerns or questions they may have. This collaborative process ensures transparency and buy-in from all stakeholders.

Achievement:Ensure every task has an owner and everyone understands their responsibilities for the upcoming sprint.

5. Meeting Wrap-Up (Synchronous)
‍Duration: 5 minutes

Summarize the decisions made during the meeting, confirming who is doing what. Highlight the next steps and remind everyone to check the post-meeting Claap for a recap and any additional asynchronous discussion.

Achievement:Ensure everyone leaves the meeting with a clear understanding of what needs to be done, by whom, and when.

6. Post-Meeting Recap (Asynchronous - Post-recorded on Claap)
‍Duration: Not applicable

After the meeting, record a quick Claap summarizing the meeting’s decisions and tasks. Share this with the team for anyone who may need to revisit the meeting's content. Additionally, this serves as a discussion thread for any further asynchronous conversations.

Achievement:Provide an easy-to-access record of the meeting for future reference and enable ongoing asynchronous communication.

With this approach, you effectively leverage Claap's features to keep your Sprint Planning Meetings efficient, engaging, and on track, all while ensuring everyone’s voice is heard. Sprint Planning has never been this seamless!

FAQs

1. How long should a Sprint Planning Meeting be?

While the length of a Sprint Planning Meeting depends on your team's size and the sprint's complexity, we suggest keeping it under 30 minutes to maintain focus and productivity. Using a tool like Claap for pre-meeting and post-meeting discussions can help streamline the process and keep the live meeting succinct.

2. Who should attend a Sprint Planning Meeting?

Typically, the product owner, Scrum Master, and the development team should attend a Sprint Planning Meeting. However, in today's collaborative work environment, it might be beneficial to include stakeholders from across departments like marketing, sales, or customer service.

3. What's the difference between Sprint Planning and Backlog Grooming?

Sprint Planning is where the team decides on the goals and tasks for the upcoming sprint. On the other hand, Backlog Grooming (or Backlog Refinement) is a separate session where the team reviews, prioritizes, and estimates the effort for the items in the product backlog. It helps prepare for more effective Sprint Planning.

4. How does an asynchronous Sprint Planning Meeting work?

An asynchronous Sprint Planning Meeting involves leveraging tools like Claap to allow team members to contribute to the meeting at their own pace and convenience. Pre-recorded video updates, annotations, and AI-powered notes help facilitate efficient asynchronous meetings, ensuring that all team members, irrespective of their time zones, can contribute effectively.

5. Can Sprint Planning Meetings be conducted remotely?

Absolutely! In fact, with modern collaboration tools like Claap, Sprint Planning Meetings can be just as, if not more, effective when conducted remotely. Claap enables both synchronous and asynchronous meetings, making it ideal for remote and distributed teams.