What helps the Development Team understand the work needed to achieve the Sprint Goal?

The Product Backlog serves as a vital tool for the Development Team, as it is a prioritized list of all the work items, features, and tasks that need to be addressed to deliver value to the customer. During Sprint Planning, the Development Team collaborates to select items from the Product Backlog that they believe they can complete during the upcoming Sprint. This selection process helps the team understand not only the tasks at hand but also the context and requirements associated with each selected item, ultimately guiding them toward achieving the Sprint Goal.

While the Definition of Done is essential for ensuring quality and consistency in the work completed, it does not directly inform the Development Team about what specific work needs to be done to reach the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Planning Meeting is indeed a critical event for discussing and determining which items from the Product Backlog will be worked on, but it is the Product Backlog itself that contains the detailed work to guide the team.

The Sprint Retrospective focuses on reflecting on the processes and collaboration of the previous Sprint, allowing the team to identify areas for improvement, rather than on the immediate work necessary for achieving the current Sprint Goal.