Best 10 Sprint Planning Templates for Product Development Managers

Sprint Planning is integral for Product Development Managers as it organizes the workflow and sets clear objectives for the team within a specific timeframe. A Sprint Planning template, especially in a versatile tool like Notion, can streamline this process by providing a structured approach to assigning tasks, tracking progress, and adjusting goals as necessary, ensuring that the project remains on schedule.

Before you dive into creating your own Sprint Planning template, consider exploring the options listed below. These templates can offer you a head start in designing a workflow that meets your team’s needs effectively.

What Should Sprint Planning Templates Include?

Choosing the right Sprint Planning template can streamline your project management process and enhance team productivity. Here are key components to look for in an effective template:

Goal Definition - A section dedicated to clearly defining the sprint goals. This helps ensure that every team member understands the objectives and can work towards them effectively.
Task Breakdown - The template should allow for tasks to be broken down into manageable sizes, which can be assigned and tracked easily. This is crucial for monitoring progress throughout the sprint.
Resource Allocation - It should include a way to allocate resources efficiently, ensuring that all tasks have the necessary personnel and tools assigned to them.
Timeline Visualization - A visual timeline that outlines the sprint duration and key milestones can help keep everyone on schedule and visually track progress against set deadlines.

Selecting a template with these components will help you manage sprints more effectively, keeping your team aligned and focused on delivering results.

What Should Sprint Planning Templates Avoid?

Choosing the right Sprint Planning template is crucial for streamlining your project management processes. However, not all templates are created equal. Here are three key components to steer clear of:

Overly Complex Layouts: Templates with too many sections or complicated structures can confuse rather than clarify. Opt for simplicity to enhance team understanding and efficiency.
Fixed Time Estimates: Avoid templates that pre-define time estimates for tasks. Flexibility is essential as task durations can vary based on team feedback and real-time challenges.
Generic Goals: Templates that encourage generic goals can lead to a lack of focus. Choose templates that facilitate setting specific, measurable, and relevant objectives for each sprint.

Selecting a template that avoids these pitfalls will help ensure that your sprint planning is both effective and adaptable, leading to better project outcomes and team dynamics.

1Roadmap

Use this template to track all of your project work. Organize your projects by epics, sprints, tasks, and bugs. You can view the database different ways to see projects by status, engineer, or product manager.

Save time by using the templates made for each type of task, where you can add more as needed, as well as custom properties to track important information.

2Issue Tracker

Track engineering projects of any shape or size with this template. For teams that use the Agile method, you can break down each project into tasks, prioritize your backlog, then organize tasks into sprints. Filter by status, priority, and team to view your work any way you like. Plus, connect your other essential tools like Github, Figma, Slack, and more to truly keep all your work in one place.

3Small Design Agency Task Management

This template helps to organise incoming work from the client account management teams into a creative design team at a small design agency. Often there are competing creative deadlines across account management teams which can lead to miss management of task priorities. On this template both the management team and creative team have their own workspace which is connected together, providing a way to manage creative tasks.

A template preview for Small Design Agency Task Management

4Notion Engineering Dashboard

The Notion Engineering Dashboard is an easy-to-use workspace for you to track your tasks, stories, epics, sprints, and meetings. With this Notion setup you can cut out clutter and focus on your highest priority tasks, without losing track of important details.

A template preview for Notion Engineering Dashboard

5Product Backlog w/ DoR and DoD

Get started with your project with this straight-forward Product Backlog template with pre-defined Definition of Ready and Definition of Done. Your project doesn't have to be a software or something complex in order to use this. It can fit to any application or use case, whether for personal or business purposes. You will be guided what data to populate in Epic, PBI, User Story, Acceptance Criteria, etc., based on the samples provided.

A template preview for Product Backlog w/ DoR and DoD

6Sprint Planning Meeting

Our Sprint Planning Meetings template is a time-efficient tool designed to streamline your sprint planning. With a single click, you can generate a new sprint meeting entry marked with today's date. The template includes structured sections for reviewing the last sprint, planning the upcoming sprint, and fostering discussion. You can also conveniently link to the associated sprint. This organized and simple text-based approach keeps your sprint planning focused and effective.

A template preview for Sprint Planning Meeting

7Action Plan

The Action Plan Template helps you to create action plans easily.

By creating an action plan you’ll able to gain a clear understanding of your short-term objectives are.

By creating an action plan you’ll be able to streamline your efforts and stay focused on what truly matters.

8Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

It helps to create an work flow in IT departments

A template preview for Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

9Weekly Sprints

Are you someone who wants to plan out your week ahead? Or someone who wants to track their weekly habits?

Here's a simple to use weekly planner, where you can set your goals for the week in one of the 4 categories: Personal, Professional, Health and Social. Add your TODOs for the week in those columns or track your habits.

You can easily add a new week with the button and take a look at your older weeks' progress in the History section as well. Personalise it as you like and make it work for you.

10Definition of Ready Checklist

The Definition of Ready (DoR) is a crucial concept in agile development that outlines the criteria a user story must meet before it can be implemented. This checklist will provide teams with a comprehensive framework for effectively defining the DoR and by following it, teams can ensure that user stories are well-prepared, reducing ambiguity and improving efficiency.

A template preview for Definition of Ready Checklist

Closing Thoughts

Utilizing these templates streamlines the planning process, ensuring that all team members are aligned with the project goals. This alignment significantly boosts productivity and reduces misunderstandings.

By adopting these templates, you can save time and focus more on critical aspects of product development. They provide a clear structure that helps in tracking progress and facilitates effective communication.

Start implementing these tools today to see a tangible improvement in your sprint planning sessions. Enhanced efficiency and clarity are just a template away.

What is a Velocity?

Velocity is a metric that predicts how much work a team can complete in a single sprint, based on the amount of work completed in previous sprints.

What is a Sprint Backlog?

The Sprint Backlog is a list of tasks identified by the Scrum team to be completed during the Sprint. It is derived from the product backlog, but is more focused and detailed.

What is a Burndown Chart?

A Burndown Chart is a visual measurement tool that shows the completed work per day against the projected rate of completion for the current project sprint.