#17 Chasing The Velocity Target

Symptom: The team continually fail to reach the velocity expectations required for a delivery date.

Probable Cause: The team and the product owner may not be realising the actual velocity of the team.

Suggested Resolution: The velocity metric is there to indicate the team's actual productivity based on real data. It can be tempting to go back to a project management style and try to "force" the velocity to achieve some milestone or delivery objective for example, rather than use the actual velocity to recalibrate the release plan or actively descope lesser prioritised stories to reach the release date.

Also, for a team to be continually failing to meet a velocity "target", this can be quite demoralising if done over a number of sprints. However, if a team lowered the expectations to be in line with their past velocity history, then there is a positive effect on the team's morale. Both situations might produce the same velocity and output, but the latter may well lead to an increase in future sprints.

Try to reduce the expectations to be in line with the exhibited velocity that has been experienced for past sprints and this should have a positive effect on the team and their work. This may require that the scope needs to be recalibrated if a fixed release date is intended, but to be honest, you were never going to reach that date with the scope in its present form anyway. ;o)

The velocity metric is there to provide information based on real data, and so you really need to take note of it and use it appropriately when managing your own and other's expectations.

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