One of the principles behind the Agile Manifesto states: “Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential.” At first glance, this sounds counterintuitive. If you look around your home, you probably wouldn’t praise your family or roommates for mastering “the art of maximizing unfinished work.” In practice, however, this principle proves extremely useful—even in everyday life. It helps us move out of the “we really should clean thoroughly again someday” mindset—and finally start.
Less is more: to-dos on the Kanban board
Back to software development and project management: the principle aims to keep as few to-dos as possible in the “in progress” column of the Kanban board. The fewer tasks are actively worked on, the clearer and more manageable the workday becomes. When team members can focus on only a small number of tasks, they complete them more quickly. They experience the satisfying moment of moving a task to “done”, which boosts motivation and momentum. But this raises a key question: How large should individual work packages be? In practice, a simple rule of thumb has proven effective: A work package should take no more than half a sprint. Ideally, teams should size tasks so that they can be completed within a single day.
We recommend planning with six hours per task. This leaves enough buffer for meetings, minor interruptions, and smaller side tasks. It also makes it easier for team members to take over tasks from one another, as there are always clearly completed intermediate results—especially helpful in cases of unplanned absences or when working with part-time staff.
Transparency reduces risk
Well-sized work packages are not only easier to handle—they also increase control and transparency. Results are delivered regularly, reviewed, and discussed. This makes it easier to assess progress within a sprint and strengthens self-management. Thanks to fast and continuous feedback, the product improves steadily through the collective intelligence of the team. It is important that work packages are measurable and that the daily goal leaves as little room for interpretation as possible. Of course, there is also a minimum size to consider. Tasks that are too small can underchallenge team members and create unnecessary administrative overhead.
This is why it is worth giving work packages the attention they deserve. Their structure has a decisive impact on project success. The smaller the work packages, the higher the transparency—and the faster inspection and adaptation can take place. This, in turn, makes the project more agile.
Not so simple after all, this idea of simplicity? Are you struggling with defining work packages or keeping up with your to-dos? Get in touch with us. We are happy to advise you and offer tailored training sessions.