Agile Ceremonies 101

A crash course guide I created to help me understand Agile terminology and answer the questions: "What is this meeting on my calendar and why am I in it?"

Over the past five years that I've been working, I've seen a lot of change in my company's maturity in the Agile approach. When agile is done well, I can see firsthand how it brings flexibility, collaboration, and adaptability to projects, especially when working with business partners.  I think that one thing that makes an Agile project successful is having a clear and defined list of recurring, time-boxed meetings, or in Agile terms, "Ceremonies" and a common understanding between participants, of what is to be accomplished in each. Here is a list of the types of Agile ceremonies I attend as a QA lead and what their purposes are:

1. Sprint Planning

Sprint Planning is the ceremony that kicks off each sprint. It's a collaborative event where the entire team gets together to determine which work items from the product backlog will be addressed in the upcoming sprint. The team discusses the scope, defines goals, and estimates effort, setting a clear direction for the sprint.

2. Daily Standup (Scrum)

The Daily Standup, also known as the Daily Scrum, is a brief, daily meeting where team members look at the story board and discuss progress, challenges, and plans. The focus is on what was done yesterday, what's planned for today, and any obstacles encountered. The standup keeps everyone informed on what is going on, and it helps raise roadblocks that may need to be escalated. 

3. Sprint Review

At the end of a sprint, the team holds a Sprint Review. During this ceremony, the team showcases the work completed during the sprint to stakeholders, including product owners and end-users. It's an opportunity for feedback and ensures alignment with project goals. The Devs and QAs usually present, and the business team asks questions.

4. Sprint Retrospective

The Sprint Retrospective is a crucial ceremony for continuous improvement. Here, the team reflects on the sprint, discussing what went well, what didn't, and how to make improvements. My team uses Miro to talk through retro items. 

5. Backlog Refinement (Grooming)

Backlog Refinement, also known as Grooming, is an ongoing ceremony aimed at maintaining a healthy product backlog. The team reviews and refines user stories, epics, and other backlog items, ensuring they are well-defined and prioritized. This process keeps the backlog ready for future sprint planning. As a QA, this is am important meeting to see what is coming down the road, and ask questions on cards that are unclear.