We Turned Backlog Grooming Into a Daily Game (and Daily Pick Kept Score)
Backlog grooming used to feel like a chore. Long spreadsheets, hidden priorities, and the same people doing heavy lifting. We flipped the script with a daily micro-grooming ritual powered by Daily Pick.
Each morning, the spinner selects a “ticket champion” and a “grooming villain” (spoiler: the villain is just the ticket’s toughest uncertainty). The champion writes a two-sentence summary and what they need to know. The villain is the blocker or unknown that the team pairs up to beat during the ritual.
Here are the game rules we stuck to:
- Spin for spotlight. Trap! chooses the teammate who will spotlight a puzzling ticket for discussion. The Decision Wheel immediately picks someone who has seen similar work to pair up for the investigation.
- Reward transparency. When a ticket lands in “unknown” territory, Daily Pick awards the champion a “clarity point”—a tiny badge that gets noted in the recap we drop into Slack. Teams started competing for clarity points like an internal leaderboard.
- Wrap with a commitment. After every micro-grooming session, the planning poker estimate for the ticket gets updated inside Planning Poker Hub so the next sprint sees the improved detail.
Backlog ripple effects? Tickets stay fresh, fewer surprises show up at sprint planning, and the same few people no longer shoulder the research. It’s still work, but the spinner makes it playful and the recap keeps everyone accountable.
Want more rituals? Flip to Spice Up Your Stand-ups: 5 Fun Ways for other games that pair well with these mini-grooming plays.