How to Define “Done” in Agile: The FINISHED Checklist for Teams

Is It FINISHED? Tasha’s Journey to a Solid Definition of Done

Tasha had been a Scrum Master for only a few months when her new team turned to her with puzzled expressions.

"So… how do we know when something is actually done?" one of them asked.

It was a fair question. They were a marketing team, not software developers, and many resources she encountered were focused on coding.

She needed a practical way to guide them through defining their Definition of Done (DoD)—ensuring their work was truly complete.

Then she remembered something from her Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) course with John Miller—a simple yet powerful tool called FINISHED.

👉 Learn how to create a strong DoD in the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) course.

The Definition of Done and Increments

Tasha recalled an important lesson from her CSM course:

"You don’t inspect quality in at the end, you build it in." – W. Edwards Deming

In Scrum, the Definition of Done applies to each Increment—a completed unit of work meeting quality standards and ready for release.

For Tasha’s marketing team, each social media post, email sequence, or landing page update needed to meet their DoD. Instead of one big, risky launch, each piece could be incrementally completed, avoiding last-minute surprises.

Problems with Past Campaigns:

• Missed deadlines and rushed launches

• Public embarrassment from quality issues

• Stressful, last-minute fixes due to poor testing

The team realized they needed a new approach, emphasizing incremental quality throughout the process.

Using FINISHED to Define Done

To facilitate this mindset shift, Tasha introduced FINISHED as a mnemonic checklist—a tool learned in her Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) course.

The FINISHED Checklist:

• Functional – The intended purpose is met and passes any acceptance criteria. The work is tested to ensure it functions as expected.

• Integrated – Fits seamlessly within the broader marketing strategy.

• No Critical Issues – Major problems are resolved; content is error-free.

• Inspected – Reviewed and approved by stakeholders.

• Supportable – Easily updated and maintainable; source files are accessible.

• Honors Standards – Adheres to brand, accessibility, and legal compliance.

• Essential Documentation – Assets, benchmarks, and audiences documented.

• Deployment Ready – Fully approved, tested, and scheduled for release.

They discussed how each category applied specifically to marketing tasks.

Building the Team's Definition of Done

Tasha split the team into small groups, each applying FINISHED to recent projects like social media posts, email sequences, or landing pages.

Examples of how they defined "Done":

• Functional: The work meets acceptance criteria, is approved by the Product Owner, and functions as intended, meeting performance standards.

• Integrated: Lead-generation forms integrated smoothly with CRM and email automation.

• No Critical Issues: Blog posts meticulously edited, formatted, and polished.

• Inspected: Presentations peer-reviewed and director-approved.

• Supportable: Onboarding guides maintainable, with accessible editable files.

• Honors Standards: Emails adhering strictly to GDPR and brand messaging.

• Essential Documentation: New branding assets clearly documented for reuse.

• Deployment Ready: Website updates fully tested across devices, approved, and scheduled.

🚀 The Impact of FINISHED

This shift in thinking changed everything.

By emphasizing quality early, the team ensured every campaign asset was fully complete before moving forward.

✅ No more last-minute fixes
✅ Confidence in every launch
✅ Clear alignment on what "done" means

Using FINISHED, the team gained absolute clarity on their Definition of Done.

No more surprises. No more rework after marking tasks "complete." Just clear, confident delivery every time.

Ready to Create a Stronger Definition of Done?

📥 Download the FINISHED Checklist – Get a free digital download for your team: Download Here

🎓 Learn How to Facilitate a Great DoD – Join our Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) course with John Miller to master Agile practices that deliver real results: Sign Up Here