Planning Poker: Agile Estimation Technique Explained

Planning Poker is a popular Agile estimation method that helps teams assess task complexity. Here's what you need to know:

• Uses story points instead of time estimates
• Involves the whole team in discussions
• Aims for consensus on task difficulty

Quick comparison of Agile estimation techniques:

Planning Poker steps:

1. Product Owner explains user story
2. Team members ask questions
3. Everyone picks an estimate card
4. Cards are revealed simultaneously
5. Team discusses differences
6. Process repeats until consensus

Benefits:

• Reduces groupthink
• Taps into collective knowledge
• Improves task understanding

Drawbacks:

• Time-consuming for large backlogs
• Requires task familiarity
• Can lead to point obsession

Planning Poker works well for small teams and fewer tasks, promoting thorough discussions and more accurate estimates.

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Planning Poker

Planning Poker is a go-to estimation technique in agile software development. It's all about getting the team together to figure out how much effort tasks or user stories will take.

How It Works

Here's the deal:

• The Product Owner explains a user story
• Team members ask questions
• Everyone picks a card with their estimate
• Cards are revealed at the same time
• The team talks it out if estimates differ
• Repeat until everyone agrees

It's that simple.

Why It's Useful

Planning Poker isn't just about numbers. It's about:

1. Using relative sizing instead of exact time estimates
2. Getting the team talking about requirements
3. Tapping into the whole team's knowledge

Teams often say their estimates are more on point with Planning Poker. But here's the kicker: the industry average for sprint planning accuracy is still below 50%. Estimation in software dev? It's tough.

Getting Everyone Involved

Planning Poker gets everyone in on the action:

• Product Owner breaks down the stories
• Devs, testers, and designers all chip in
• Everyone votes independently
• Discussions iron out any differences

This approach? It leads to better task understanding and a more engaged team.

Is It Hard to Do?

Planning Poker isn't rocket science, but it takes some getting used to:

1. Setup

You need Planning Poker cards. Most teams use the Fibonacci sequence (0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89).

2. Challenges

• Avoiding groupthink
• Keeping discussions on track
• Dealing with complex tasks

3. Solutions

• Use a moderator
• Set time limits
• Break down big tasks

With some practice, Planning Poker can become a smooth part of your agile process.

2. T-Shirt Sizing

T-Shirt Sizing is a quick estimation technique in Agile. It uses clothing sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL) to group tasks by complexity or effort.

Accuracy

T-Shirt Sizing gives rough estimates:

• Great for early project stages
• Helps teams avoid number crunching
• Less precise than other methods

Here's a typical scale:

Team Involvement

It gets everyone involved:

• Sparks discussions about task complexity
• Team members share views quickly
• Builds shared project scope understanding

Difficulty Level

T-Shirt Sizing is easy to use:

• Intuitive for new team members
• Fast for estimating large backlogs
• Teams must define size meanings clearly

To use it well:

1. Set clear size criteria
2. Include whole team in estimations
3. Use for high-level planning
4. Adjust sizes as you learn more

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3. Dot Voting

Dot Voting is a quick way for teams to prioritize items or make decisions together. It's popular in agile teams for things like sprint retrospectives and feature prioritization.

Accuracy

Dot Voting shows group preferences visually, but it's not perfect:

• It's better for rough prioritization, not precise estimates
• Popular ideas might win over less-known but valuable options
• Groupthink can skew results if you're not careful

To get better results:

• Set clear voting rules
• Give time for research before voting
• Use digital tools to keep votes private

Team Involvement

Dot Voting gets everyone involved:

• All team members have an equal say
• Quiet team members can easily participate
• It sparks talks about priorities and trade-offs

"Dot Voting changed our sprint planning. Everyone got to contribute, bringing in more diverse views and better decisions", said a product manager at a top tech company.

Difficulty Level

Dot Voting is pretty simple:

To make it work:

1. Clearly explain the options

2. Set a dot limit for each person

3. Vote silently to avoid influencing others

4. Talk about the results afterward

Dot Voting is easy, but it might not work for complex decisions. Use it as part of a bigger decision-making process for tricky project estimates.

Good and Bad Points

Let's break down the pros and cons of Planning Poker, T-Shirt Sizing, and Dot Voting.

Planning Poker shines in teamwork. It's perfect for sprint planning, but it's not quick. The Hubstaff Content Team says:

"On our Sprint calls, we figure out story points (1-5) for things like blog posts, editing, CMS work, emails, and other content."

T-Shirt Sizing is fast and casual, great for long-term plans. It works well for creative tasks:

"Use T-shirt sizes for video work. A quick Instagram reel? Extra small. A live product demo? XL."

Dot Voting is speedy but can lack depth. It's best for quick priority-setting, not detailed estimates.

When picking a method, think about:

1. Team size: Planning Poker for small teams, Dot Voting for bigger groups.

2. Backlog size: T-Shirt Sizing and Dot Voting for big backlogs. Planning Poker for 10 or fewer tasks.

3. Detail needed: Want precision? Planning Poker. Rough estimates? T-Shirt Sizing or Dot Voting.

4. Team know-how: Planning Poker needs task familiarity. T-Shirt Sizing works for new teams.

5. Time available: Dot Voting is fastest, then T-Shirt Sizing. Planning Poker takes longest but often gives better results.

Wrap-up

Planning Poker, T-Shirt Sizing, and Dot Voting each serve a purpose in agile estimation. Here's when to use each:

Planning Poker:

• For small teams (up to 8 people) and fewer tasks (10 or less)
• Promotes team discussion and consensus
• Used by Hubstaff's content team in Sprint calls

"On our Sprint calls, we assess story points (1-5) for blog posts, editing, CMS work, emails, and other content."

T-Shirt Sizing:

• For high-level portfolio planning and creative tasks
• Quick, easy, and moves beyond time units
• Useful for video content creation

"Use T-shirt sizes for video creation. An Instagram reel might be XS, while a live product demo could be XL."

Dot Voting:

• For large backlogs and big teams
• Fast and helps set priorities
• Best for rough estimates and quick priority-setting

Quick comparison:

Pick the right tool for your project. Planning Poker for detailed estimates, T-Shirt Sizing for initial planning, and Dot Voting for quick prioritization.

Ken Blanchard says:

"None of us is as smart as all of us."

This captures the essence of these techniques – tapping into collective wisdom. Choose the right method to leverage your team's knowledge for better estimates and successful projects.

FAQs

Is Planning Poker a consensus-based technique?

Yes, it is. Planning Poker gets the whole team involved in estimating effort for user stories or tasks. Here's how it works:

• Teams use cards with values from a modified Fibonacci sequence
• Everyone picks a card to represent their estimate
• Cards are revealed at the same time
• The team discusses and agrees on a final estimate

This approach helps the team reach a consensus on effort estimates.

Is planning poker effective?

Planning Poker works well for estimating complex work in software development. Here's why:

• Gets everyone involved, tapping into team knowledge
• Reduces bias by revealing estimates at the same time
• Encourages team members to explain their thinking
• Focuses on comparing task complexity, not exact time

A Mountain Goat Software study found Planning Poker estimates were 40% more accurate than traditional methods.

What are the drawbacks of planning poker?

Planning Poker isn't perfect. Here are some potential issues:

To tackle these problems, teams can:

1. Limit items per session

2. Switch up who leads the session

3. Use silent voting to cut down on bias

4. Focus on relative sizing, not exact point values

"Good Planning Poker balances thorough discussion with quick decisions. It's about agreeing, not being perfect", says Mike Cohn, Scrum Alliance co-founder.

Related posts

• Dot Voting in Agile: Prioritization Technique
• T-Shirt Sizing in Agile: Guide 2024
• Story Points vs. Ideal Days: Which Agile Estimation Technique?
• Sprint Capacity Planning: 7 Tips for Agile Teams