Planning Sessions Guide
Master the art of running effective planning poker sessions with your team for accurate story estimation.
On this page:
Creating a Planning Session
Step-by-Step Session Creation
Navigate to Sessions
From your dashboard or team page, click "Planning Sessions" or "Create Session".
Screenshot: Sessions Navigation
Fill in Session Details
Configure your session with these settings:
Give your session a descriptive name (e.g., "Sprint 15 Planning")
Select which team this session is for
Optional context about the session goals
When the session will take place (for calendar integration)
Configure Voting Settings
Choose your estimation preferences:
Voting Scale
- • Fibonacci (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13...)
- • T-Shirt Sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL)
- • Powers of 2 (1, 2, 4, 8, 16...)
- • Custom scale
Session Options
- • Auto-reveal votes
- • Allow observers
- • Enable timer
- • Public/Private session
Create Session
Click "Create Session" to save. If you have a Session Moderator assigned to your team, they will automatically be set as the moderator.
Note: If your team has a designated Session Moderator, they will automatically be assigned to moderate this session. Otherwise, the session creator becomes the moderator.
Session Configuration Options
Voting Scales Explained
Fibonacci Sequence
Most popular for story points: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34...
Best for: Teams that want to reflect increasing uncertainty in larger estimates
T-Shirt Sizes
Simple relative sizing: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
Best for: Teams new to estimation or high-level planning
Powers of 2
Exponential growth: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32...
Best for: Teams that prefer clearer differentiation between sizes
Custom Scale
Define your own values
Best for: Teams with specific estimation needs or legacy systems
Session Visibility
Public Sessions
Anyone with the link can join as an observer. Great for stakeholder visibility.
Private Sessions
Only team members can access. Ensures confidentiality for sensitive estimations.
Discussion Timer
Keep discussions focused with automatic timers:
- Default timer: 3 minutes per story
- Customizable from 1-10 minutes
- Visual and audio alerts when time is running out
- Moderator can extend or skip timer
Adding User Stories
Three Ways to Add Stories
Method 1 Manual Entry
- Click "Add Story" in the session
- Enter story title and description
- Add acceptance criteria (optional)
- Set story type (Feature, Bug, Technical Debt, etc.)
- Save the story
Screenshot: Add Story Form
Method 2 Import from Jira
- Ensure Jira is connected to your team
- Click "Import from Jira" button
- Select the sprint or enter JQL query
- Choose stories to import
- Stories are added with all details from Jira
Tip: Use JQL filters to import specific story types or by assignee
Method 3 Bulk Import (CSV/Paste)
- Click "Bulk Import" option
- Paste stories (one per line) or upload CSV
- Map columns if using CSV
- Review and confirm import
- All stories added at once
Format: Title | Description | Type (optional)
Running a Planning Session
Session Flow
Session States
Start the Session
Click "Start Session" when all participants have joined.
- Participants see a notification that voting has begun
- The first story is automatically selected
- Timer starts if enabled
Present the Story
The moderator reads the story and answers questions.
- Story details are visible to all participants
- Use the discussion timer to keep things moving
- Clarify acceptance criteria and scope
Team Votes
Each team member selects their estimate.
- Votes are hidden until revealed
- Participants can change votes before reveal
- Observer status shown for non-voters
Reveal & Discuss
Moderator reveals all votes simultaneously.
- Discuss outliers (highest and lowest estimates)
- Re-vote if no consensus
- Set final estimate when team agrees
Move to Next Story
Continue through the backlog.
- Auto-advance to next story or manual selection
- Skip stories that need more information
- Track progress through story list
Moderator Controls
- Reveal votes
- Reset current round
- Skip story
- Pause/Resume timer
- Pause/Resume session
- Add stories mid-session
- Export results
- End session
The Voting Process
Understanding the Voting Interface
Screenshot: Voting Interface
Voting Cards
- Click a card to select your estimate
- Selected card is highlighted
- Change selection before reveal
- "?" card for uncertainty
- "☕" card to request a break
Participant Status
- Green check: Has voted
- Clock icon: Still thinking
- Eye icon: Observer (not voting)
- Red X: Disconnected
Building Consensus
If all votes are within one step (e.g., 3 and 5), consider using the higher estimate for safety.
- Ask the highest estimator to explain their concerns
- Ask the lowest estimator about their assumptions
- Clarify scope and requirements
- Re-vote after discussion
- If still divergent, consider splitting the story
- Avoid averaging estimates
- Don't pressure team to conform
- Document assumptions for future reference
- Consider complexity, not just time
Guest Access & Observers
Allowing External Participants
Guest Voting Access
For public sessions, you can allow guests to participate in voting:
- Share the public session link
- Guest enters their name
- They can vote but not moderate
- Their votes are marked as "Guest"
Use case: Great for including stakeholders, clients, or cross-team members
Observer Mode
Some participants may want to watch without voting:
- Stakeholders monitoring progress
- New team members learning the process
- Managers reviewing team dynamics
- Observers see votes only after reveal
Security Considerations
- Public sessions are accessible to anyone with the link
- Don't share sensitive information in public sessions
- Use private sessions for confidential projects
- Guest access can be disabled at organization level
Jira Integration
Importing and Exporting Stories
Importing Stories from Jira
Click "Import from Jira" in your session
Choose import method:
- Current Sprint
- Specific Sprint
- JQL Query (advanced)
Select stories to import
Stories appear in your session backlog
Exporting Estimates to Jira
After completing estimation:
- Click "Export to Jira" in session summary
- Review estimates to be exported
- Choose story points field mapping
- Confirm export
- Estimates are updated in Jira automatically
Screenshot: Export to Jira Dialog
Useful JQL Queries
project = "PROJ" AND sprint in openSprints() AND type = Story
assignee = currentUser() AND status = "To Do"
labels = "needs-estimation" AND created >= -7d
Best Practices
Before the Session
- Review and refine stories - ensure they're ready for estimation
- Include acceptance criteria for clarity
- Schedule sessions when the whole team can attend
- Keep sessions to 1-2 hours maximum
- Send session link in advance
During the Session
- Start with a simple story to warm up
- Encourage everyone to vote independently
- Focus discussions on understanding, not convincing
- Take breaks every 45-60 minutes
- Document key assumptions and decisions
After the Session
- Export results promptly to your tracking system
- Review session metrics (velocity, participation)
- Share summary with stakeholders
- Archive completed sessions for reference
- Gather feedback for process improvement
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Anchoring: Don't let senior members vote first or influence others
- Groupthink: Encourage diverse opinions and healthy debate
- Time estimates: Focus on complexity, not hours/days
- Over-precision: Story points are relative, not exact
- Skipping discussion: The conversation is more valuable than the number
Session Analytics & Reporting
Understanding Your Team's Performance
Session Metrics
- Total stories estimated
- Average time per story
- Consensus rate
- Re-voting frequency
- Participation rate
Team Insights
- Velocity trends over time
- Estimation accuracy
- Individual voting patterns
- Story type complexity
- Session duration optimization
Screenshot: Session Analytics Dashboard
Ready to Master More Features?
Explore these related guides to enhance your planning process: