When a process isn't working, you'll have to make a choice that will help move things along. However, some choices are less about inspecting and adapting than about getting things done quickly, and that incurs risk. To manage this risk you need to be aware of the differences between "practical" and "expedient."

Successful agile coaching requires a combination of experience, knowledge, and soft skills to help organizations build competence, sustainability, and performance in their agile practices. But it's not all up to the coach. There are a few things you can do to ensure your coaching engagement is set up for success.

One way to address poorly defined product backlog items is to spend time refining the items as you go. Refining the backlog continuously helps the team deliver consistently and can lead to shorter planning meetings at the start of the sprint. It can even help improve reliability, velocity, and the quality of work.