It’s every Technical Project Manager’s nightmare, that is what if one of your key developers resigns in the middle of a sprint. This isn’t just a theoretical “what if”; it recently happened to a fellow TPM, and it left his team, product sponsor, and key stakeholders scrambling to realign. Suddenly, the sprint goals were in jeopardy. TPM had to move quickly, reassigning tasks, bringing in an experienced developer on short notice, and most importantly, keeping the team’s morale intact. All this had to be done while staying within scope, timeline, and budget – still delivering a high-quality product.
If you’re a TPM, this kind of disruption isn’t a matter of if, but when. In this article, we’ll explore practical strategies to help you manage unexpected developer attrition mid-sprint, without derailing the entire project – So without further ado here are my recommendations:
Clear – Transparent Communication – Conduct a quick sync with your remaining ‘dev team’ – Share the news transparently – Discuss potential reassignment of tasks – Gauge bandwidth and moral because losing a team member can rattle people – Apply empathy, developers aren’t just resources; they’re people too. Acknowledge their impact toward this project team, then pivot toward solutions together
Pause and Assess the Impact – Before jumping in a recovery mode, take a moment to assess: 1) What stories or tasks were assigned to this departing developer? 2) Which ones are in progress, critical, or blocked? 3) Is there any documentation available? 4) Are those tasks modular, or is this just a ‘knowledge silo’? – Use your sprint board to visualize immediate ripple effect. This clarity helps guide your next steps with project team and stakeholders.
Mitigate (Project) Knowledge Loss – If this developer left abruptly, gather any available artifacts such as: Branches, pull requests, and commit messages. Comments in Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps Backlogs, Task items etc. or other useful documentation. Slack/MS Team conversations or code reviews. However, if there’s still time for a transition or offboarding session, even as short as 30 minutes, it’s worth it. Document what you learn and assign someone to fill in gaps post-sprint
Deploy your Contingency Plans – Good TPMs either have always a of bench of those or know how to build one fast. Be clear on short-term vs. long-term needs. This will help you craft a sustainable path moving forward beyond this current sprint. I strongly recommend that you: 1) Reach out to engineering managers about internal redeployment 2) Activate relationships with trusted contractors or vendors 3) If your company has a ‘dev support’ rotation, call it in.
Refocus Priorities – Lead With Purpose – Work with Product Owner to revisit sprint priorities – Shift team focus to high-value, achievable stories – De-scope or defer non-critical tasks. Inform key stakeholders of current situation and revised sprint goals. Highlight proactive steps taken to minimize disruption- Reinforce your commitment to quality and timelines. A sprint mid-flight may not deliver exactly what you planned. That’s okay. Agile is about adaptability. Focus on a ‘strong finish’ with what you can control
A Quick Wrap Up – While no one likes surprises during a sprint, they happen. What matters most is, not to panic, yet to be prepared. An experienced TPMs can navigate this challenge with grace, agility, and minimal disruption. For example, in this case, losing a developer mid-sprint is challenging, but not catastrophic. Experienced TPMs are uniquely positioned to lead their teams thru turbulence with calmness and clarity. By focusing on people, processes, and pragmatism, you can turn a sprint derailment in a powerful example of adaptive leadership
