Adaptive methods aren’t something unique to Agile, it’s an aspect found in basic business methodologies and processes. Very basic, textbook stuff. So when software types start grumping about their dysfunctional organizations and blaming methods they aren’t actually applying, it isn’t an indictment of the method and never can be.
If “Adaptive Heat Cycle 3.5” is a process where we turn down the thermostat when we’re too hot, and up when we’re too cold, based on a vote every 20 min: a bunch of sweaty people who are not voting and not changing the temp and lying about their needs because their boss sucks are not using the process. The fact they claim they are is only further proof of dysfunction and incompetence.
Agile has a built in solution to all agile complaints: the agile process where you fix the problem. No fix? Not agile. Blame the cargo cult players, not the rules.
To be fair, the manifesto and methodology is quite good in theory. But I just have never heard of(or experienced) it working properly and the response is always that it wasn't implemented correctly.
PRINCE2, for example, is constantly fumbled and misunderstood by immature juniors. They don’t get it, and screw it up. So… what? Haphazard planning and last minute project detonations must replace any effort to avoid such outcomes?
It’s chicken and egg. You have screwups who can’t manage and think wrong, so you formalize rules so dummies can’t hurt leadership, and then you have to train people. A stunning number fail to ‘get it’, suck at management, and do what they feel with justifications instead of following the book. That’s standard distribution at play.
Blaming methods for basic management failures is a management and culture failure. “I’ve never seen [agile] implemented correctly” is saying you didn’t fix communication issues. That’s fine, that’s hard. But that’s a meatspace issue, not process.
