Taking a Tayloristic approach to management in an agile context will never fly. Even though the exact role of Management in an agile context depends on the specific organization, it’s typically about building a culture of transparency, empowerment, psychological safety, trust and other values and principles that are vital to working agile.

Therefore, if this is the management style of your organization, you should help Management understand why it’s not optimal when you want to be agile. For instance, the idea of having a utilization rate of 100% should be avoided entirely, as it’ll impede flow and our ability to deliver as promised when unexpected stuff happens. Instead, fill up your Sprint with about 70% of your average historical velocity, so there’s wiggle space for when you get wiser—and educate Management on all of this.