The method

Why sort instead of estimating one by one

People are better at comparing than at guessing absolute sizes. Saying "this is bigger than that" is quick; agreeing that something is "exactly 5" is slow. When the whole team sorts every issue into size columns, most issues land in the same place for everyone, and only a few need a conversation.

How a session runs

• Silent. Everyone sorts on their own, without discussing. Placements stay hidden until the reveal, so nobody anchors on the most senior voice.
• Relative. Compare issues with each other and with work you have done before, not with hours.
• Outliers first. After the reveal, talk only about the issues where the votes are far apart. Often someone knows something the others did not.
• Done. Keep the median for the rest and write the values to Jira.

Tips

• Agree on one or two reference issues before you start, for example "the login form was a 3".
• Give the sorting a time box. If an issue is unclear, put your best guess and say so in the discussion.
• Keep sessions to one sprint or one epic, so the issues are comparable.