Traditional Backlog Management Sucks

How to escape from the wish list trap

What’s a product backlog to you?

I don’t want a beautiful theoretical answer. I want you to reflect on what a product in reality is. When I ask myself the same question, I don’t like the answer.

A product backlog is often an artifact that destroys your chance of being agile.

Traditional backlogs are lists of everything unrelated to vision, strategy, and goals. But stakeholders love it because once an item goes to the backlog, no one dares to remove it.

Backlog items soon become promises or contracts. You’ve got to deliver something and cannot remove it from the backlog. Otherwise, someone will be pissed.

If you want to create value faster, you must change this scenario.

Photo by Mark König on Unsplash

Knowing you’ve fallen into the backlog trap

Most people fall into the build trap, which takes a while to realize. I’ve been there long enough to understand the signs of this horrible situation.

Reflect on the following statements:

• My backlog content reflects the wants of most of my stakeholders

• I have backlog items created six months ago or even longer

• I dislike deleting backlog items

• The backlog has more than fifty items

• By looking at my backlog items, I cannot tell the goal we’re pursuing

The more you relate to them, the more you are trapped with poor backlog management. No worries, you’re not alone.

Let me help you act now to escape from it.

Working now for a better tomorrow

You may wonder, “Why should I act?”

The product backlog should be a vehicle to create value, not a list that locks you in the past. To create value, you must continuously adapt your work according to your learnings.

The old should not obfuscate the new. Only when the old goes away does the new find its place.

The longer your product backlog is, the more closed you are to the new. You’ve got to create room for the new.

I’m pragmatic and like acting fast instead of talking about how to get the job done. It creates more value in learning from results than sitting in a room and discussing potential outcomes.

Here’s what you can do today for a better tomorrow:

• Remove all items older than three months. Just do it and thank me later :)

• Prioritize one goal and ensure your product backlog relates to it

• Remove the items unrelated to the most relevant goal

I understand you may be afraid of taking my radical pragmatic approach, but let me tell you one thing. You cannot get where most people don’t get by doing what most people do. You must act differently.

Don’t worry about removing backlog items. Whatever matters will come back to your plate.

Keep the backlog lean. That will make your life easier. Ensure you’re looking forward and not only backward.

A question for you

What holds you back from trying out different approaches?

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Note: Upcoming live training Product Owner Beyond Scrum on the 18th of March and 1st of April at 10 am CET. You may be interested to learn more about it. There are limited seats.