I don’t mind scrum, specifically the daily stand up. In an old job a couple non-contributors became obvious. And so has been my work ethic. I benefit from that because I’m naturally the kind of person to get things done. Despite my good feelings about it, I also see how often it’s used as a) an excuse to micromanage and b) a mechanism to feed leadership’s need for attention. I don’t know if this is accurate or not, but I’m inclined to think people that get into managerial positions are more social and that seems to come with an intrinsic need to be seen, recognized, and given some form of public accolades (like everyone laughing at thier funny jokes). And while I like the accountability of stand ups, you’re going to get my PRs anyway and your agile tickets/cards are getting moved to done whether I’m in a meeting or not. I think overall it’s a bit of a waste of time for me. That’s just my personal opinion though. Maybe I’m wrong, feel free to give feedback. I’m open to being convinced otherwise.
> I think overall it’s a bit of a waste of time for me
The company isn't trying to optimize for best use of your time individually or to make you happy. They are trying to get some kind of result. And it very well may be worth inconveniencing and annoying higher performers to improve the performance of lower performers to achieve the result they want.
> but I’m inclined to think people that get into managerial positions are more social and that seems to come with an intrinsic need to be seen, recognized, and given some form of public accolades
I got into management because I like solving problems and I reached a point where solving purely technical problems is no longer what it takes to actually drive a product forward and improve things. The problems I try to solve now are more organizational so that dev teams can actually reach that creative state where they are talking with the customer directly and engaged in the overall process. I'm an introvert. The face time and accolades are draining, but it's important work that you've got to be in a leadership position to take on effectively.
That’s exactly right! I’ve had that same exact thought. Had they been making any kind of effort to “manage” that would’ve been dealt with much sooner. We didn’t necessarily need daily stand ups, but they ended up being the mechanism management used to figure out who was not performing. I have often wondered if a simple cursory check in would’ve accomplished the same thing. All the meeting and processional hand waving might’ve been unnecessary.
