Humble Planning: A Smarter Way to Tackle Complexity
A fresh perspective on delivering value in Agile environments.
Discover how "humble planning" helps Agile teams embrace uncertainty, adapt to change, and focus on progress over perfection.
Learn to use Sprint Goals as a unifying force that guides teams toward meaningful outcomes, not just feature delivery.
Shift from rigid planning to flexible, iterative development, enabling continuous learning and more thoughtful decision-making.
Driving Value with Sprint Goals: Humble Plans, Exceptional Results was published last year by
. It is a comprehensive guide that uses Sprint Goals to enhance teamwork and build successful products in Agile environments. The book emphasises the importance of aligning teams behind clear goals that deliver real value (outcomes) rather than just features (output).You may also recognise him as the author of ‘Maarten’s Newsletter’ Substack.
Driving Value with Sprint Goals is a fresh perspective on delivering value in Agile environments. It is a concise yet comprehensive guide, making it a practical resource for Producers, Game Designers, Product Managers, and studio executives.
I almost passed over it because I had not invested much time reading about the scrum framework. From the cover, it looks like a rehash of an old way of thinking. However, I read it when I heard it was more about value delivery and lean thinking.
Rather than rehashing familiar concepts, it focuses on actionable insights for building high-performing teams. The advice is clear and direct, designed to help teams accelerate value delivery. It bridges theory with real-world application, making connecting ideas to everyday challenges in Agile workflows easy.
The idea that resonated with me most was humble planning. Dalmijn tackles the criticism of Scrum, often seen on LinkedIn and Reddit, with clarity and balance. He bridges the gap between Scrum practitioners and those who favour a leaner approach, and his breakdown of humble planning is a prime example of this.
Humble planning resonated with me because it acknowledges the uncertainty and unpredictability of work. Instead of trying to lock everything down upfront, it encourages adaptability and learning as you go. This approach feels more honest and practical, especially in fast-changing environments where rigid plans often fall apart. It’s a mindset shift that promotes progress over perfection.
Humble Planning Breakdown
Humble planning is a modern approach recognises software development's inherent uncertainty and complexity. Unlike traditional methods that rely on rigid, upfront plans, humble planning embraces flexibility and continuous learning. It prioritises simplicity, collaboration, and adaptability, allowing plans to evolve as new information emerges.
One of the most impactful concepts in this approach is humble planning. This concept stands out as a fundamental shift in mindset, encouraging teams to acknowledge uncertainty rather than ignore it. By accepting that not everything can be known upfront, teams create space for learning, adaptation, and better decision-making as work progresses.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the key principles and practices that define humble planning:
Acknowledge the Limits of Upfront Planning
Why It Matters: Predicting everything at the start is nearly impossible in complex work environments like software development. Initial plans are often riddled with noise, assumptions, and flawed predictions.
The Risk: Overconfidence in these initial plans can lead to rigidity, where teams cling to outdated assumptions. This limits opportunities for collaboration, learning, and adapting to new insights.
The Solution: Accept that uncertainty is unavoidable. While upfront planning is helpful, it should be treated as a starting point rather than a fixed path.
Start with Humble Plans
What It Means: Instead of creating detailed step-by-step blueprints, focus on simple, high-level plans that acknowledge the unknowns.
How to Do It: Identify the most critical objective and plan only as much as needed to get started. Avoid trying to predict every task, as this often leads to waste. The goal is to prioritise flexibility.
Why It Works: When teams start with humble plans, they remain open to change. This approach enables them to pivot and adjust as new information is discovered.
Plan More When You Know More
How It Works: As the team progresses, it learns more about the problem, the solution, and the constraints. This new knowledge should inform the plan.
The Process: Use an iterative approach to planning. Rather than locking in details on day one, refine plans as you go. This can happen during sprint reviews, retrospectives, or other learning moments.
The Benefit: Teams that embrace this iterative approach are better positioned to deliver valuable results. They can avoid the cost of rework and seize opportunities as they arise.
Lead with Context and Intent
What It Means: Don’t just tell the team "what" to do—help them understand "why" it matters.
How to Do It: Share the desired outcomes and key context with the team. This can be done using the military-inspired concept of "commander’s intent." The commander's intent outlines what needs to be achieved and why, giving the team enough context to make decisions independently.
The Impact: With a clear North Star, teams can act autonomously. When surprises inevitably occur, they can adjust while aiming for the original goal.
Use Sprint Goals as a Guiding Force
Why Sprint Goals Matter: Sprint Goals are a practical implementation of the commander’s intent for the sprint.
How to Use Them: Set clear, meaningful Sprint Goals that communicate the sprint's purpose. Clearly define success and explain how it contributes to broader objectives.
The Benefit: When teams focus on Sprint Goals, they can better inspect and adapt their plans throughout the sprint. This allows them to respond to changes while working towards a unified objective.
Focus on Outcomes, Not Outputs
The Shift: Move away from a "feature factory" mindset where the goal is to deliver as many features as possible. Instead, prioritise achieving outcomes that create real value.
How to Do It: Start by understanding customer needs and the impact you’re trying to create. Build features only when they serve these more significant outcomes.
Why It Works: Features are a means to an end, not the end itself. By focusing on outcomes, teams can avoid wasteful work and instead target high-impact activities.
Summary
Humble planning is a powerful approach to navigating the complexity and uncertainty of software development. It prioritises adaptability, continuous learning, and clear intent. Instead of rigid, upfront plans, it encourages teams to:
Start with simple, flexible plans that adapt as new information emerges.
Use context and intent to guide decision-making.
Treat Sprint Goals as a unifying force for the team’s efforts.
Shift the focus from delivering features to achieving meaningful outcomes.
By following these principles, teams are better equipped to collaborate, learn, and deliver value in fast-changing environments.
Whether you're leading a team, facilitating Agile processes, or driving product strategy, this book has something for you. It avoids fluff, offering only what’s essential to deliver value faster and more effectively. This is a worthy addition to the bookshelf for anyone looking to sharpen their approach to Agile leadership.