As the Sprint Planning meeting progresses, what valid actions can the Development Team take when the workload exceeds their capacity?

When the Development Team realizes that the workload exceeds their capacity during the Sprint Planning meeting, they can take the valid action of removing or changing selected Product Backlog items. This action aligns with the Agile principle of optimizing the team's ability to deliver a potentially shippable product increment within the Sprint.

By removing or altering selected backlog items, the team ensures that they can realistically commit to what they can accomplish given their available resources and effort. It promotes a focus on delivering the most valuable features first, rather than overcommitting and risking incomplete work at the end of the Sprint. This practice helps maintain the quality of the output and keeps the team motivated, as they can achieve their commitments without overwhelming themselves.

While communicating with the Product Owner and suggesting the onboarding of additional team members might seem beneficial, these actions could lead to complications such as mounting expectations or workflow inefficiencies. Forming smaller groups might disrupt collaboration and the team dynamics that are essential in Scrum. Therefore, modifying the scope to fit what can be achieved within the Sprint is the most pragmatic approach.