How many "ands" are in your team's sprint goal?

The point of a sprint goal is in the name: have a goal, and go after it. Pull in the work you need to get there.

Most teams I see run it in reverse. They pull in the top items from the backlog, even when those items have nothing to do with each other. Then they squint at the pile and frame a goal around it. Often the "goal" isn't even singular. It's this, and this, and this.

That isn't a sprint goal. It's retrofitting. A retrofitted goal describes the work that was already chosen. It doesn't direct anything.

It's an easy habit to fall into. The backlog is prioritized, so taking from the top feels like the responsible move.

The cost is context switching. Five unrelated items means five sets of context to load and reload, and nobody's work builds on anyone else's. The team is busy all sprint and less effective for it.

Start planning with the goal. Then pull in the work that gets you there, even when that means a top-of-backlog item waits a sprint. In the long-term, you'll achieve more.