Sprint Planning: Committing to a Goal, Not Just Tasks

Sprint Planning isn't just grabbing tasks; it's a negotiation where the team commits to a Sprint Goal that provides value. It answers three questions: why is this sprint valuable, what can be done, and how will it get done. This ceremony kicks off every sprint, aligning the Product Owner and Developers on a shared objective. The biggest footgun is treating it as a one-way assignment, ignoring the team's actual capacity, and failing to define a cohesive goal, leading to burnout and unfocused work.