Why do I always focus on the bad?

People who follow my rants (or outbursts), whether they do so on this site, Medium , or Tealfeed know for a fact that I frequently go on and on about what I think is wrong with Agile or with the world around it. I might write an article about leadership, Scrum, or nothing at all, but I do have a tendency to draw attention to the bad stuff even before it gets out of hand.

Now, before you start calling me a downer, let me explain a few specific points.

Yes, I do concentrate on what I fundamentally believe to be wrong. However, I don't do that in an effort to cast the agile community and agility in a bad light. The exact opposite. The first step on the path to salvation is admitting one's shortcomings. So I do concentrate on the negative and the things that require our love, care, and attention. I concentrate on potential detours from Agile's original intent. And I accomplish this by learning about many topics through reading, listening, talking, and researching them in depth. Additionally, I always make sure you, the reader, are aware that what I write is entirely original and that neither I nor anybody else—regardless of how similar our viewpoints may be—should blindly adopt it.

Why do I act this way? If you think about it and approach it with an agile mindset, you cannot provide a solution to a problem that you do not fully and authentically understand. This does not imply that you must be an expert on every subject or issue. It implies that you must dive deep as often as you can and from different angles. A problem has several distinct characteristics, such as who it affects, when it occurs, how it manifests, and why it occurs. It is impossible for one person to get all the necessary information. It is due to this, Design Thinking begins with a thorough information gathering phase before formulating any insights.

Let go through them all, shall we?

Who is affected by it? Regardless of its nature or seriousness, a problem affects each of us individually. We are all unique, as are our businesses, and the globe and the market are undergoing continuous change. We must collect as much information as we can from various angles that will result in various insights. Because of this, I frequently address various topics in a generalised way. I am personally and directly familiar with a few businesses and certain issues. Everything and how it affects everyone is beyond my knowledge. And if someone or some group claims otherwise, either they are fools, or you are if you believe them.

When does it occur? What criteria must be met before a particular problem can appear? As the bits and bytes must meet specific requirements in order to pass that "bump" in the logical flow, much like a defect in a piece of code, so does any issue or problem out in the world. What exactly are those prerequisites? No matter who they affect, are they always the same?

How does it impact you? To what degree? Can you live with it, or can it destroy you somehow? Do you plan on using that issue as fuel for something else? Can it be contained? Are you going to capitalize on it?

Why does this occur? Is it something you have internal control over? Are you depending on others to handle and/or resolve it? Did you unintentionally cause it to happen or did you have to accept it as a necessary component of something greater?

If you work in the field of product management, you already know that the majority of methodologies encourage "Focus on the Problem, not the Solution." I agree and would add that you can never come up with a meaningful solution unless you have a thorough understanding of the issue at hand (except by sheer chance, and I do not believe in it). And as you can see there are many different sides to every issue. Those who spend their days dealing with risk management know this deeply.

Having said that, anytime I emphasise on the terrible things in general, it is only to increase awareness and spark a discussion that, in theory, will result in some potential solutions. And if I can do it with even one of you, then I have succeeded.

Disclaimer: I sometimes use Quillbot to help me rephrase some sentences as English is not my native language. Not only it serves a specific purpose (creating more impact) but it helps me improve my vocabulary.