Asynchronous Planning Poker in Jira: The Ultimate Guide for Agile & Scrum Teams

Understanding Async Poker in Jira

Asynchronous Planning Poker enhances the traditional planning poker process by allowing team members to estimate user stories independently, in their own time, before refinement meetings. 

This adaptation of the Planning Poker method is particularly powerful for teams with members in different time zones as it allows members to participate in the estimation process when convenient. Using this method successfully can shorten the time of the next upcoming refinement meeting. 

When Asynchronous Planning Poker works and when it doesn't - how to address it

When it works

Asynchronous Planning Poker aims to reduce the time required during refinement meetings while keeping the process collaborative. It assumes the majority of stories are well defined, so all team members share the same understanding, and each can give an estimate without further clarification or discussion involving the whole team.

When it doesn't

The method depends on the user stories to be well-prepared and clear so that only minor details are open when the team gives estimates. If team members have major questions about a story, they will likely have a different understanding of what needs to be done, causing a vastly different effort estimate.

How to Address Team Member Questions About a Story?

When team members have questions that affect the estimate, some teams try to resolve them through Jira comments. However, this can become time-consuming and often takes longer than a quick discussion during planning.

A more efficient approach is to label these stories as “Discussion Needed” instead of estimating them right away. This allows the team to:

• Skip estimating those stories during initial estimation rounds.
• Discuss them properly during Planning.
• Provide an accurate estimate only after key questions are answered.

This method saves time, reduces back-and-forth discussions in Jira comments, and ensures better estimation accuracy.

Implementing Async Planning Poker in your Jira workflow

Successfully implementing asynchronous planning requires a structured approach. Here's your step-by-step guide:

Before the Backlog Refinement Meeting

1. Product Owner - Prepares the backlog so the stories are Ready for Sprint Planning. Check out the Definition of Ready for more details.
2. Product Owner - Notifies the team - The first X stories on our backlog are Ready for refinement. Please review and give your estimate and feedback before refinement
3. Team members - Estimate stories in their own time and raise questions - that might impact the effort considerably
4. Product Owner - Answer questions the team has
5. Scrum Master - Make sure estimates are all in place before refinement - so everyone's time isn't wasted

During the Backlog Refinement Meeting

1. Review submitted estimates
2. Discuss estimate variations and decide what is included and what is not
3. Reach a consensus on the final story points
4. Update the Jira story points with One Click

Controlling Estimate Visibility in Asynchronous with Smart Guess

For Scrum Masters who want full control over when and how estimates are revealed — especially important for teams running asynchronous Planning Poker — there are settings available that prevent team members from viewing each other’s estimates until the appropriate time.

You can access these options through the “Your settings” (cogwheel) menu.

Scrum Master Settings for Async Planning Poker

• Leading – Take the lead in the session. Decide when estimates are revealed and whether a re-estimation is needed.
• Auto-joining – Automatically join the session and assume the leading role.
• Observing – Join as an observer to follow the discussion without submitting an estimate.

Note: The Scrum Master only needs to configure these settings once per project — they are automatically applied to every issue.

These controls give Scrum Masters the flexibility to manage estimation sessions effectively, even when team members are contributing at different times.

Best practices for Asynchronous Planning for Scrum teams

To maximize the effectiveness of Async Poker in Jira:

1. Story Preparation: Ensure stories are well-defined before asking your team to give estimates. Poor preparation leads to confusion and delays.
2. Clear Communication: Establish guidelines for asking and answering questions asynchronously. For stories that require discussion, use Jira labels so team members don't spend time giving an estimate before the discussion takes place.
3. Documentation: Keep track of key points during estimation discussions such as decisions within Jira for future reference.