> Agile done right is like this.That doesn't sound like Agile, at least not the Manifesto one. Agile is pretty clear that there are no managers. It, ultimately, offers suggestions of what you need to think about if you are to move to an ad-hoc organization structure. For instance, per the 12 Principles, "Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project." There is no room for a manager in that. There is no independent "keeping the runway clear" or "coming up with ideas behind the scenes". That's the work developers and business people are doing – why they are working together.
Here's a few more:
* "Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale." – Translation: Without a manager keeping tabs on everyone's progress, the easiest way for the team to stay on top of progress is to see it.
* "Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done." – Translation: Don't accept people into your group who need someone (i.e. a manager) to hold their hand.
* "The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation." – Translation: There is no manager ensuring everyone is aligned and on the same page.
* "The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams." – Translation: With no manager to organize the group, you need to figure out who is going to do what on your own.
* "At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly." – Translation: You don't have a manager watching over to see where improvement can be made. Figure it out for yourselves.
Whether or not Agile is suitable for your organization, or any organization!, is another matter. Indeed, one should not accept Agile into their life just because it has a catchy name. Probably not at all. One must remember that the Agile signatories live in a different reality to most developers.
> If you hate the idea of a meeting like this it's possible your managers suck and don't listen to you.
Whether or not they are listening, I'm not sure what I would want to tell them? What I do know from many, many years of experience is that when you have a good manager, you won't even know they exist. A manager who needs to gather the group around the campfire each day is decidedly not a good manager. Heck, even most staunch standup supporters will tell you that managers shouldn't be invited to the standup as it easily becomes a crutch for bad management.