Fruit Salad: A Creative Scrum Estimation Scale
In the world of agile project management, teams often strive for a balance between flexibility and structure, aiming to find the most suitable approach for their unique needs. One area where this balance is particularly crucial is in the realm of estimation.
Traditional methods like t-shirt sizes or fun bucks have their merits, but they may not always hit the mark when it comes to assessing the complexity of tasks. After some consideration, I introduced a more unconventional approach to estimation using emoji – specifically, fruit emoji. Yes, you read that right – fruit!
The concept is rather straightforward: as the complexity of a task increases, the fruit chosen to represent it becomes more intricate. It's like creating a fruit salad of tasks for the team to tackle in a sprint. Here's how it works:
🍇 A grape: (1) This represents a task that's trivial, quick, and requires minimal thought – a no-brainer.
🍏 An apple: (2) An apple signifies a task that most team members are familiar with, but it might take a bit of time to complete. You generally know what's involved, but there may be some nuances.
🍒 A cherry: (3) Much like eating a cherry, these tasks are relatively easy but may have a pesky pit in the middle. You know most of what needs to happen, but there are some unknowns to consider.
🍍 A pineapple: (5) Slicing up a pineapple isn't an everyday occurrence for most of us, and this emoji represents tasks that require some exploration. While there are no major unknowns, there are still aspects of the task to figure out.
🍉 A watermelon: (8) Consider this the wild card of the fruit salad. Just like tackling a watermelon, these tasks come with multiple challenges and uncertainties. You might need a metaphorical machete, and there's a lot to work out.
?? 🍅 A Tomato: Yes, I know tomatoes are technically fruits, but they don't belong in a fruit salad – and neither do tasks with inadequate information or those that require further breakdown before they can be estimated. When you're faced with such a task, it's time to declare the tomato.
🥑 An avocado: Avocados are tricky – they go bad fast. Similarly, there are tasks that are difficult to scope due to their unpredictable nature, or they are chores that just take a fixed amount of time.
So there you have it, a creative and slightly whimsical approach to task estimation using fruit emoji. While it might not be for every team, it has proven to be an effective way to gauge the complexity of tasks, facilitating better planning and execution. It's a testament to the adaptability and ingenuity of agile methodologies – and a reminder that sometimes, a touch of fun can enhance productivity. Give it a try, and who knows, you might find yourself with a fruit salad of tasks ready to tackle in your next sprint! 🍇🍏🍒🍍🍉🍅🥑
“A very creative estimation illustration.”
