At the start of each sprint, they often hold ambitious expectations for what can be accomplished. But that optimism don’t always match reality. One of the leading pain points in agile teams comes from a disconnect between the business’s desired outcomes and the final output completed at the end of the sprint. This gap isn’t usually about low productivity. It’s about poor dialogue and unmanaged expectations.

Business leaders care deeply about outcomes—functionality shipped, problems solved, value created. They may not always grasp technical complexities, forecasting difficulties, or technical debt. On the other hand, the development team is focused on tasks, user stories, and the mechanics of building something reliable. Without a shared understanding, trust erodes.

The key to closing this gap lies in the quality of planning discussions. Too often, sprint planning is treated as a transactional event where the team accepts a backlog of stories without digging into the business rationale. To align expectations, the team must involve stakeholders early and often—not just during retrospectives, but during estimation.

Articulate the sprint’s purpose upfront. This isn’t just a collection of stories. It’s a single, measurable objective that connects directly to strategic goals. For example, instead of saying we will complete five user stories, say we aim to reduce cart abandonment by streamlining the payment flow. This shifts the focus from activity to value.

Involve key stakeholders in the planning session. Even if they aren’t present regularly, ensure a proxy with business context is there to voice their objectives. Ask them to weigh business value based on impact, urgency, or ROI. This helps the team understand нужна команда разработчиков which items matter most and why. When stakeholders see their input directly shaping what gets worked on, they develop stronger ownership.

Don’t hide constraints or risks. If the team is working on a technically challenging story that could be delayed, communicate it clearly. Explain why. Share estimates honestly, and define completion criteria explicitly. Stakeholders need to understand that a incomplete functionality isn’t useful until it’s released and operational.

Finally, use the sprint review as a conversation. Don’t just present deliverables. Highlight key takeaways, explain deviations from estimates, and how the next sprint will adapt. This fosters credibility and agility.

True alignment isn’t about fulfilling every request. It’s about fostering mutual clarity around priorities, constraints, and compromises. When stakeholders recognize the team as strategic allies rather than order takers, the entire process becomes more collaborative, predictable, and successful.