I've got an ice box where my backlog used to be
Taking back control of your backlog
In project management and software development, backlog overflow is a common challenge, leading to cluttered lists and hindered productivity. Slowly, we lose control of the backlog which in turn reduces trust across the team that any item within the backlog will ever get completed. Alternatively, the Ice Box offers a solution by providing a holding area for ideas, features, or tasks not yet prioritized or ready for development. It calls it what it is - a ticket status without an SLA towards completion.
Understanding the Ice Box
The Ice Box is a list of ideas, features, or tasks that are not yet prioritized or ready for development. They might be considered low-priority or not urgent and may require further analysis and discussion before they are added to any product roadmap or backlog. Any item in the Ice Box has no level of commitment from the business to ever be completed.
A Quick Implementation Guide
Implementing an Ice Box requires clear guidelines and communication within the team.
Consider the preferred time horizon for your team's backlog planning. Determine a reasonable number of tickets that can be completed within that time frame. Ensure the active backlog is limited to at most that many tickets*.
Engage the team in discussions to move any items not intended for prioritization during that period to the Ice Box. Emphasize the value of the Ice Box as an easier alternative to archiving tickets, ensuring that valuable ideas are preserved for future consideration. Ticket authors tend to be hoarders. The Ice Box helps.
Lastly, remember that when you establish an ice box, there’s a good chance your backlog is extremely overrun. This means you might simply want to do a bulk update of all tickets in your backlog into the Ice Box status. This is a fine strategy. If the work is important, it will come back up.
*In reality, probably 25-50% of your work comes directly from the backlog so you may find the backlog should be substantially less than the amount of tickets you can complete in a given time frame.
Conclusion
The Ice Box concept offers a practical solution to backlog overflow, preserving valuable ideas while maintaining a manageable backlog. Its implementation fosters psychological safety by assuring team members that their contributions are valued and preserved for future consideration. By setting clear guidelines and engaging the team in discussions, the Ice Box becomes an integral part of effective backlog management, enhancing overall productivity and focus.