# Facilitation Guide for Sprint Masters

The Sprint Master makes or breaks the design sprint. This role is equal parts timekeeper, therapist, traffic cop, and energy manager. A great facilitator creates the conditions for the team's best thinking while preventing the dysfunction that derails most group work.


## Table of Contents
1. [The Sprint Master Role](#the-sprint-master-role)
2. [Time-Boxing Techniques](#time-boxing-techniques)
3. [Energy Management](#energy-management)
4. [Dealing with Difficult Participants](#dealing-with-difficult-participants)
5. [Decision-Making Protocols](#decision-making-protocols)
6. [Room Setup and Materials Checklist](#room-setup-and-materials-checklist)
7. [Day-by-Day Facilitation Tips](#day-by-day-facilitation-tips)
8. [Logistics: Music, Snacks, and Breaks](#logistics-music-snacks-and-breaks)

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## The Sprint Master Role

### Core Responsibilities

| Responsibility | What It Looks Like |
|---------------|-------------------|
| Time management | Starting and ending exercises on time, using visible timers |
| Process enforcement | Ensuring each exercise follows the correct format |
| Energy management | Reading the room, calling breaks, adjusting pace |
| Neutrality | Not advocating for any particular solution |
| Conflict resolution | Defusing tension without taking sides |
| Documentation | Ensuring all outputs are captured (photos, notes) |
| Logistics | Room setup, supplies, meals, technology |

### Who Should Be the Sprint Master

**Good candidates:**
- Product manager with facilitation experience
- Design lead who can resist designing during the sprint
- External facilitator or consultant
- Scrum master or agile coach

**Poor candidates:**
- The CEO or founder (they should be the Decider, not the facilitator)
- Someone who has a strong opinion about the solution (they will push it)
- The most junior person in the room (they lack the authority to enforce time)
- Someone who has never run a meeting before (start smaller)

### Key Principle: The Sprint Master Does Not Contribute Solutions

During sketching, voting, and deciding, the Sprint Master participates only as a facilitator. If they have a strong solution idea, they should sketch it like everyone else but not advocate for it during critique. The moment a facilitator pushes their own idea, they lose neutrality and the team defers to them.

## Time-Boxing Techniques

### Why Time-Boxing Matters

Without time limits, every exercise expands to fill the available time. Long-term goal becomes a 2-hour strategy debate. Lightning Demos become 15-minute presentations. The storyboard never finishes.

### Tools for Time-Boxing

| Tool | When to Use |
|------|------------|
| Time Timer (visual countdown) | Every exercise. Place it where everyone can see it |
| Phone timer with loud alarm | Backup timer. Set it 1 minute before the end as a warning |
| Music playlist | Play during silent work. When the music stops, time is up |
| Written schedule on wall | Post the full day schedule so everyone can see what is coming |

### The Two-Minute Warning

For every exercise, announce "Two minutes remaining" when the timer hits the mark. This gives people time to wrap up their thought without the jarring surprise of a sudden stop.

### When to Extend Time

Extend time only when:
- The team is clearly making productive progress (not just talking)
- The exercise output is incomplete and critical for the next step
- The Decider explicitly asks for more time

Never extend time because:
- The discussion is "interesting" (interesting discussions are infinite)
- One person is not finished (they can catch up during the break)
- The team "wants to explore this more" (the schedule exists for a reason)

### Time-Boxing by Day

**Monday:**

| Exercise | Budgeted Time | Strict or Flexible |
|----------|--------------|-------------------|
| Long-term goal | 30 min | Strict. The Decider breaks ties |
| Sprint questions | 45 min | Flexible +15 min if new questions are emerging |
| Customer journey map | 60 min | Strict. Keep the map simple |
| Ask the Experts | 20 min per expert | Strict. Thank the expert and move on |
| HMW voting | 30 min | Strict. Voting should not require discussion |
| Target selection | 30 min | Strict. Decider makes the call |

**Tuesday:**

| Exercise | Budgeted Time | Strict or Flexible |
|----------|--------------|-------------------|
| Lightning Demos | 3 min per demo | Strict. Use a timer for each demo |
| Notes | 20 min | Strict |
| Ideas | 20 min | Strict |
| Crazy 8s | 8 min | Strict. 1 minute per panel, no exceptions |
| Solution Sketch | 90 min | Flexible +15 min. This is the most important output |

**Wednesday:**

| Exercise | Budgeted Time | Strict or Flexible |
|----------|--------------|-------------------|
| Art Museum | 30 min | Strict |
| Speed Critique | 3 min per sketch | Strict. Use a timer for each sketch |
| Straw Poll | 15 min | Strict |
| Supervote | 15 min | Strict. The Decider knows what they want |
| Storyboard | 150 min | Flexible +30 min if gaps remain |

**Thursday:**

| Exercise | Budgeted Time | Strict or Flexible |
|----------|--------------|-------------------|
| Role assignment | 30 min | Strict |
| Building | 150 min | Flexible. Prioritize completion over polish |
| Stitching | 90 min | Strict. Must finish to allow trial run |
| Team review | 30 min | Strict |
| Trial run | 30 min | Strict. Must happen before end of day |

**Friday:**

| Exercise | Budgeted Time | Strict or Flexible |
|----------|--------------|-------------------|
| Each interview | 45 min | Strict. Respect participant's time |
| Between-interview breaks | 30 min | Flexible. Can shorten to 15 if running late |
| Debrief | 75 min | Flexible +30 min. This is the payoff |

## Energy Management

### Energy Management Tactics

| Tactic | When to Use |
|--------|------------|
| Stand-up exercises | After lunch, during storyboarding, any time energy drops |
| Change of scenery | Take a 10-minute walk break outside the sprint room |
| Music during silent work | Background music keeps energy up during individual exercises |
| Snack table | Protein-heavy snacks available all day (avoid sugar crashes) |
| Celebrate small wins | End each day by naming what the team accomplished |
| Physical movement | Move to a different wall, rearrange chairs, change the room layout |

### Afternoon Slump Protocol

Every day between 2:00 and 3:00 PM, energy typically drops. Plan for it:

1. Schedule a 10-minute break at 2:00 PM
2. Provide coffee and high-protein snacks
3. Start the next exercise with a brief standing activity
4. If possible, schedule active exercises (voting, building) for this time slot rather than passive ones (listening, reviewing)

## Dealing with Difficult Participants

### The HiPPO (Highest-Paid Person's Opinion)

**Behavior:** Dominates discussion, others defer to their authority.
**Tactic:** Use the structured exercises as designed. Silent voting, anonymous sketches, and individual work prevent the HiPPO from overriding the group. If the HiPPO is the Decider, remind them that their power comes at the Supervote, not during open discussion.

### The Skeptic

**Behavior:** Vocally doubts the process. "This is a waste of time." "This will never work."
**Tactic:** Acknowledge their concern briefly: "I hear you. Let's see how the week goes. If we are not getting value by Wednesday, we can adjust." Then redirect to the exercise. Most skeptics become converts by Wednesday when they see the storyboard take shape.

### The Talker

**Behavior:** Fills every silence with commentary. Derails exercises with tangents.
**Tactic:** Use the timer as your ally: "We have 2 minutes left, so let's get back to the exercise." During silent phases, gently say "Remember, this part is individual and quiet." If needed, speak privately during a break.

### The Perfectionist

**Behavior:** Cannot move on until every detail is resolved.
**Tactic:** Use the phrase "We will address that later in the sprint" or "Let's note it and move on." Put unresolved details on a parking lot sticky note. The perfectionist needs to see that their concern is captured, even if it is not resolved now.

### The Quiet Participant

**Behavior:** Rarely speaks up, defers to others, may seem disengaged.
**Tactic:** The sprint's silent exercises (sketching, dot voting) naturally give quiet people a voice. During discussions, use round-robin: "Let's hear from everyone. [Name], what do you think?" During breaks, check in privately: "How is it going? Anything you want to raise?"

### The Multi-Tasker

**Behavior:** Checks phone, works on email, takes calls during the sprint.
**Tactic:** Set the rule on Monday morning: no devices during exercises. Place a phone basket at the door. If someone violates, say "Let's put phones away for this exercise. We have a break in 30 minutes." If they persist, talk privately during a break about the commitment.

## Decision-Making Protocols

### When the Team Decides

Dot voting and straw polls are used for:
- HMW prioritization
- Art Museum heat maps
- Straw poll preferences

These are input for the Decider, not final decisions.

### When the Decider Decides

The Decider has final authority on:
- Long-term goal
- Target selection
- Supervote (which solution to prototype)
- Rumble vs All-in-One
- Any tie-breaking situation

### When the Sprint Master Decides

The Sprint Master has authority over:
- Time management (when to end an exercise)
- Process (which exercise comes next)
- Room logistics
- Whether to extend time on an exercise

## Room Setup and Materials Checklist

### Room Requirements

- [ ] Large room with floor-to-ceiling whiteboard (or multiple whiteboards)
- [ ] No glass walls (privacy for discussions)
- [ ] Door that closes (quiet from outside noise)
- [ ] Power outlets for laptops (Thursday prototyping)
- [ ] Separate observation room for Friday (or a quiet corner with headphones)

### Materials Checklist

**Writing and drawing:**
- [ ] Thick black markers (Sharpie or similar), 1 per person
- [ ] Fine-tip markers for detail work, 1 per person
- [ ] Letter-size blank paper, 50+ sheets
- [ ] Whiteboard markers (black, blue, red, green)
- [ ] Whiteboard eraser and spray

**Sticky notes and voting:**
- [ ] Standard sticky notes (3x3), 5 pads in various colors
- [ ] Large sticky notes (5x8), 2 pads
- [ ] Small dot stickers (1/4 inch), 100+
- [ ] Large dot stickers (3/4 inch), 2 per person plus 3 for the Decider
- [ ] Painter's tape for hanging sketches

**Technology:**
- [ ] Time Timer or visible countdown timer
- [ ] Laptop for Thursday prototyping
- [ ] TV or monitor for Friday interview observation
- [ ] Video conferencing setup if remote participants join for Friday
- [ ] Camera for recording Friday interviews

**Comfort:**
- [ ] Snacks: nuts, fruit, protein bars, crackers
- [ ] Drinks: water, coffee, tea
- [ ] Lunch plan for each day (order in or nearby restaurant with fast service)

## Day-by-Day Facilitation Tips

### Monday

- Start with introductions if not everyone knows each other
- Write the schedule on the whiteboard so everyone sees the plan
- Enforce the "no solutions yet" rule: Monday is about understanding, not solving
- Take a photo of every whiteboard before erasing
- End the day by reading the target aloud and getting a verbal confirmation from everyone

### Tuesday

- Begin with a recap of Monday's target (2 minutes)
- Keep Lightning Demos moving fast; use the timer visibly
- During the Four-Step Sketch, your job is to keep the room silent
- Walk around during Crazy 8s and say "Switch" every minute
- Collect sketches at the end without looking at them

### Wednesday

- Arrive early to tape sketches to the wall for the Art Museum
- During Speed Critique, stand next to each sketch and point as you narrate
- Keep a running list of standout ideas on the whiteboard
- After the Supervote, thank the team for their work and honor the Decider's choice
- During storyboarding, ask "What happens next?" to keep the team moving

### Thursday

- Do a quick standing check-in at 10:30, 12:00, and 2:00
- Walk around and look at progress; flag problems early
- Protect the Interviewer's time for script writing
- Insist on the trial run even if the team resists

### Friday

- Arrive 30 minutes early to set up rooms
- Brief the team: "Watch, listen, and take notes. Do not react out loud."
- Between interviews, lead a 5-minute "What did we see?" discussion
- At the debrief, write findings on the whiteboard as the team discusses
- End the sprint by thanking the team and scheduling a follow-up meeting

## Logistics: Music, Snacks, and Breaks

### Music

- Play low-volume instrumental music during silent work phases (sketching, dot voting)
- No lyrics (they distract from thinking)
- Good options: lo-fi beats, jazz, ambient electronic, classical
- Turn music off during discussions and presentations

### Breaks

| Type | Frequency | Duration |
|------|-----------|----------|
| Micro break | Every 60-90 min | 5 min (stand, stretch, refill water) |
| Full break | Mid-morning and mid-afternoon | 15 min (leave the room, check phone) |
| Lunch | Daily | 45-60 min (eat away from the sprint room if possible) |

### End-of-Day Rituals

End each day with:
1. Sprint Master reads aloud what was accomplished
2. Quick round: each person names one thing they are excited about
3. Confirm tomorrow's start time
4. Remind everyone: no outside work on sprint topics tonight (fresh eyes matter)
