A Sad Cultural Gap

There’s a sad phenomenon I’ve observed in so many organisations: they proudly declare themselves agile, yet somehow end up running waterfall in disguise. The gap between management expectations and engineering reality keeps widening, and I’ve been trying to understand why.

It often starts innocently enough. Leadership embraces agile terminology but struggles to let go of traditional command structures. They want the benefits of agility (speed, innovation, adaptability) whilst maintaining the comfort of detailed roadmaps and fixed deadlines. Meanwhile, engineering teams start with genuine enthusiasm for agile practices, only to find themselves executing predetermined plans with little room for iteration or learning.

The disconnect grows gradually. Management asks for commitment to specific features months in advance. Engineering agrees, hoping to maintain some flexibility. When changes inevitably arise or estimates prove wrong, trust erodes on both sides. Management sees a team that can’t deliver on promises. Engineering sees leadership that doesn’t understand the realities of software development.

What fascinates me is how both sides retreat to their comfort zones when stressed. Management tightens control, demanding more detailed plans and status reports. Engineering becomes defensive, feeling reduced to order takers rather than problem solvers. The resentment builds quietly but steadily.

The tragedy is that both sides want the same thing: successful products delivered efficiently. But without genuine understanding and trust, the gap becomes a chasm. Management wonders why their “agile” teams can’t seem to deliver reliably. Engineering wonders why they’re doing waterfall with extra meetings.

Breaking this cycle requires courage from both sides. Leadership needs to truly embrace uncertainty and empower teams. Engineering needs to communicate challenges early and often. Most importantly, both need to acknowledge that real agility isn’t about following a methodology; it’s about creating an environment where adaptation and learning are valued over rigid adherence to plans.

When what flows down the organisational hierarchy is orders rather than intent, this divide will never truly heal. Until leaders share the ‘why’ and trust teams with the ‘how’, we’re just playing agile theatre.

Originally posted on LinkedIn.