Scaled Agile Reviews

Lack of transparency from leadership into financial performance of the business, including hollow reassurances about concerning patterns and a lack of detail so you can't even deduce for yourself how well the business is doing with any accuracy. Constantly shifting priorities making it difficult to plan work, predict releases, and focus on quality delivery. When I started, teams were more empowered to prioritize what was important at any given time, set aside capacity for maintenance, and "pitch" what they were going to work on and toward what outcomes (though of course different teams felt different levels of empowerment). Now you just do what the CEO says even the data heavily suggests a given idea is not likely to pay off. Consistently poor bets by leadership team and no accountability. Check the posts by Scaled Agile employees on LinkedIn: there have been multiple rounds of layoffs, but hardly any of those impacted have been director-level or above. Shedding individual contributors and line managers but keeping the people who were making the decisions that got the company into a situation where layoffs were (repeatedly) the "best" option is not only a losing strategy if you want better decisions to increase revenue or profitability beyond the immediate term, it also tanks morale (and productivity) for everyone left behind who simply wonders when their turn will come.

Brutal Layoff: Sudden and large-scale layoffs blindsided workers, including essential contributors to meaningful work and positive culture. Leadership Transparency: It appeared that leadership hid financial struggles and continued hiring despite an unsustainable revenue stream. Ignored Feedback: Leadership consistently failed to act on employee feedback, leading to tension, mistrust, and uncertainty. Declining Benefits and Culture: Benefits that once set the company apart were quietly reduced or changed without warning, reflecting a broader decline as the company evolved.