A recent student of mine, Natasha Menon, asked me to provide some information regarding the data for determining the timeboxes for the events in Scrum. For example, “Why does Sprint Planning have an 8-hour timebox?”.
Well this question inspired me to finally compile all useful the links that I gathered over the years into a single place. Here is that list. My hope is that you know why these timeboxes are valuable. This information should help you practice each event to it’s full potential.
The 8-hour timebox is derived from empirical evidence and practices within the Scrum community that indicate this duration is generally sufficient for thorough and effective planning for a one-month sprint. It balances the need for detailed planning with the practical constraints of team availability and attention spans (Scrum.org) (Atlassian)(Scrum Alliance).
The 8-hour timebox for Sprint Planning ensures that the team can thoroughly plan their work, align on goals, and set a clear path forward, thereby increasing the likelihood of a successful sprint. This structured yet flexible approach helps teams adapt to various project complexities and sprint lengths (Scrum.org) (Scrum.org).
Advice from Ready Set Agile: Use all 8 hours! This a perfect time to refine the tasks and form the plan for the crafted Sprint Goal. Separate what is known with what is unknown. Sprint Planning is a perfect time to execute Spikes and to prototype solutions.
Advice from Ready Set Agile: This timebox is very specific to your situation. Remember that it’s a working session to gather feedback and determine the direction for the next sprint. I have found that including your stakeholders in setting the Sprint Review agenda increases effective engagement, and will make sure that the event only happens within an agreed timebox for all participants.
When Scrum was initially developed, the creators, including Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, aimed to establish a sustainable pace for all Scrum events, including the retrospective. The choice of a three-hour timebox for a one-month sprint emerged from practical considerations observed during the early implementations of Scrum. The duration was found to be sufficient to cover necessary topics without leading to fatigue or diminishing returns from prolonged discussions.
The retrospective requires thorough examination of the team’s processes, interactions, and outcomes. A shorter period might not allow enough time to delve deeply into these areas and identify meaningful improvements. Discussions beyond three hours often lead to decreased engagement and diminishing returns. Keeping the meeting productive and focused is crucial, and a three-hour limit helps maintain this balance. Early experiences and feedback from teams using Scrum suggested that three hours was generally the optimal time for achieving the retrospective’s goals without overburdening the team.
The goal is to allow ample time for each team member to voice their insights and concerns, facilitating a comprehensive review of what went well, what didn’t, and how processes can be adjusted to enhance future performance. This timebox also helps to ensure that the retrospective remains a high-energy, positive, and focused event, essential for fostering continuous improvement and team cohesion. (Scrum.org) (Scrum.org) (Scrum Alliance Resource Library) (Scrum.org)
Advice from Ready Set Agile: As a Scrum Master, I try to focus on team safety and effectiveness to continuously improve. Choosing the proper setting is extremely important for me when a team goes into the Retrospective. Team members need to be psychologically present in order to effectively respond to change. That said, the time I count for the Retrospective timebox is this effective time. An example is where the event takes place outside work at the team’s favorite restaurant or pub. Get in the right mood, then start the timer. I often find that the team can be make great decisions in less than 3 hours.
Advice from Ready Set Agile: “What is the best Sprint length?” is probably my most asked question in class. My answer is just as vague: “Long enough to complete significant work, and short enough to gather effective feedback.” I coach teams to strive to shorten the sprint length (yes, shorten) so that stakeholder engagement is increased to further reduce risk and maximize business value. I especially encourage this behavior in scaled team situations.
Also, don’t start with a 2-week sprint because it’s popular. If your release cadence is over a month, maybe starting with a one-month sprint is best. Introducing too much change too quickly can lead to disaster!
The 15-minute timebox for the daily Scrum meeting is a fundamental aspect of the Scrum framework, designed to ensure the meeting remains focused, efficient, and productive. The origin of this specific duration is rooted in the principles of agility and efficiency that underpin Scrum practices.
The 15-minute time limit encourages team members to deliver concise status updates and avoid discussions that could derail the focus of the meeting. This brevity helps maintain momentum and ensures that the meeting does not take up too much of the team’s valuable working time (Scrum.org) (Scrum.org) (Mountain Goat Software). The timebox is designed to ensure that the meeting remains a quick, daily touchpoint where team members can synchronize their activities and identify any impediments without delving into problem-solving or detailed discussions, which are better suited for other meetings or sessions (Miro).
The specific choice of 15 minutes likely comes from early Scrum practices and the emphasis on maintaining a disciplined and time-efficient approach to team collaboration. This duration is long enough to cover essential updates yet short enough to keep the team engaged and avoid unnecessary digressions. Over time, this practice has been widely adopted and codified in the Scrum Guide and other Scrum resources as a best practice (Scrum.org)(Mountain Goat Software).
In summary, the 15-minute timebox for the daily Scrum meeting is a deliberate choice to foster efficiency, focus, and regular team synchronization, embodying the core principles of Scrum and Agile mindset.
Advice from Ready Set Agile: Never skip the Daily – especially on Sprint event days (e.g. hold your Daily Scrum on Sprint Review day)! Skipping the Daily will almost guarantee that risk will be introduced into meeting the Sprint Goal because the team will be out of sync with its activities. Yes, it’s that important. Once the habit is there, it’s pretty easy for the team to form an effective daily plan within 15 minutes. And forget “the three questions”! They are worthless until understanding is reached to why this is a good empirical approach to planning.
