Agile as Trauma

If a company sets a goal of boosting user engagement, Agile is designed to get developers working single-mindedly toward that goal—not arguing with managers about whether, for example, it’s a good idea to show people content that inflames their prejudices. Such ethical arguments are incompatible with Agile’s avowed dedication to keeping developers

You might recognize that while I mentioned Agile, and while almost everyone today claims to be Agile, what I've just described is very much a waterfall process. In fairness to the engineers, they're typically doing about as much Agile as they can, given the broader waterfall context.

When employees hear that they’re undergoing an “Agile Transformation,” at least two of those top three motivators are taken away. There is a lack of autonomy (you have to do this thing, you have no choice) and there is a lack of mastery (you’re a beginner again, possibly after a long career). So increasing agility can feel like a big price to pay.