Process Purity

Distinctions

Identity (IS)	Explanation
Process Orthodoxy	Treating the official version of a method as the only legitimate way to work.
Method Dogmatism	Insisting that rules of a framework must be followed strictly regardless of context.
Framework Fundamentalism	Belief that deviation from the prescribed process corrupts the method.
Methodolatry	Elevating the method itself above the outcomes it was meant to produce.
Ceremony Compliance	Measuring success by adherence to rituals (meetings, artifacts, roles).
Practice Literalism	Applying practices exactly as written rather than adapting them to circumstances.
Tool-Driven Behavior	Allowing the framework or tooling to dictate work instead of the problem being solved.
Ritual Preservation	Protecting rituals because they belong to the process, not because they add value.
Purist Interpretation	Rejecting pragmatic adaptations as “not real Scrum / Kanban / Lean.”
Mechanical Process Application	Executing the steps of a method without regard to purpose or outcomes.
Ritual over Reason	Process rituals are followed because they belong to the method, even when they no longer serve the situation or objective.

Other (IS NOT)	Explanation
Principle-Driven Adaptation	Adjusting practices while preserving the underlying principles.
Pragmatic Process Use	Treating frameworks as tools rather than rules.
Continuous Improvement	Changing the process based on learning and feedback.
Contextual Tailoring	Modifying practices to fit the team’s environment or constraints.
Outcome Orientation	Evaluating practices by the value they produce rather than fidelity to the method.
Empirical Process Control	Adjusting behavior based on observation and experimentation.
Lean Thinking	Eliminating practices that do not contribute to value delivery.
Situational Leadership	Choosing practices appropriate to the problem rather than the framework.
Framework Literacy	Understanding the intent behind practices and applying them intelligently.
Principle-First Thinking	Starting with goals and principles before selecting practices.

Process Purity occurs when adherence to a prescribed process becomes more important than achieving the outcomes the process was designed to enable.

Process Purity optimizes for fidelity to the method, while adaptive practice optimizes for effectiveness in the real world.