Timeboxing

Timeboxing assigns a fixed, maximum unit of time for an activity, such as one hour for a meeting. This unit of time is called a timebox. The goal of timeboxing is to define and limit the time spent on an activity.

In the Living Transformation®, timeboxing is a key component of all transformation events—from prioritization meetings to the Transformation Sprint Planning Event and reviews.

Some agile teams also use timeboxing during a sprint to specifically define open tasks. An example of an open task is the research the team needs to conduct in order to come to a decision or to estimate the size and complexity of an upcoming story.

Timeboxing is a feature in many project management methodologies because timeboxing helps teams focus on completing the task at hand by providing a clear “Definition of Done”.

In addition, timeboxing encourages the teams to start working immediately. The “Temporal Motivation Theory” shows that time constraints are a crucial component for efficient work.