In a scenario with a self-organized team working under tight deadlines, what should they create for better management?

Creating a project backlog is essential for self-organized teams, especially when working under tight deadlines. A project backlog is essentially a prioritized list of work that needs to be completed, representing the team’s understanding of project requirements and tasks. This backlog serves as a dynamic guide that helps the team focus on the most critical tasks first, allowing for efficient time management and resource allocation.

In fast-paced environments, having a clear and prioritized list helps team members select what to work on during each iteration, ensuring that their efforts align with the project’s overarching goals. This approach supports an adaptive workflow, allowing the team to respond quickly to changing requirements or priorities.

While sprint planning, an MVP (Minimum Viable Product), and a WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) are all valuable tools in project management, they may not provide the same immediate clarity and flexibility that a project backlog offers in a self-organizing context. Sprint planning is a structured event that typically follows the existence of a backlog. An MVP focuses on delivering the most crucial features of a product but does not inherently organize tasks for the team. A WBS delineates project scopes into manageable sections but may not prioritize tasks effectively for a self-organizing team operating under time constraints.