As a SAFe advocate, I am all for decentralized decision-making—until it is questioned in favor of product goals. Here is why balancing values and the human element should always come first.
The organization I work at utilizes the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). We hold SAFe ceremonies and religiously attend quarterly Program Increment (PI) planning. We use words like product owner, scrum master, thought leaders, release on demand, team of teams, growth mindset, lean thinking, etc. Let us just say, IFYKYK.
SAFe prides itself on indoctrinating organizations with a behavioral mindset based on specific values, principles, and practices to develop a customer-centered, innovative, decentralized decision-making culture. Even something called the Agile Manifesto grooms employees to accept this ideology.
It may seem as though I am a SAFe denier. I am not. I am a true believer. When the values, principles, and practices are adhered to, SAFe does what it promises to do for an organization. However, when these values, principles, and practices are cherry-picked, it is a recipe for catastrophe.
The four Core Values of SAFe are alignment, transparency, respect for people, and relentless improvement. Alignment ensures employees work toward the common goal while enabling team autonomy and decentralized decision-making. Transparency between leadership and the Agile Release Train (ART) supports the why behind the work done at every level. Respect for people is just that. It is the concept that employees are human beings first and foremost and that their well-being is essential to a devoted workforce. Relentless improvement respects the uniqueness of each employee and encourages them to be the best version of their professional selves to benefit the overall organization. These four values alone are worlds away from the keep your head down and clock-in clock-out culture of yesteryears. That is why I was so disappointed in my organization’s most recent decision.
Like many across the United States, we were recently impacted by a significant winter storm. Depending on the exact location, we received anywhere from 7 to 12 inches of snow. I called a snow day and directed team members to stay home.
I adhered to the core value of alignment by using my decentralized decision-making skills to tell team members to use the day to dig out their vehicles and look after their children who were out of school due to the weather. This decision also aligned with the Governor’s declaration of a state of emergency due to the winter storm. I adhered to the core value of transparency by explaining my decision to my leader, stating that the work the team had on their plate for the day was not urgent and knowing our goals would still be met for the quarter. I adhered to the core value of respect for people by putting the safety of the employees first and foremost by providing the most basic assurance that I could, which was that I would ensure their safety to the best of my control. Finally, I adhered to the core value of relentless improvement by developing professional development that could be done from home if the team unexpectedly had to stay home for a similar event in the future.
As the team leader and SAFe product owner who prides myself on adhering to the core values, I could not hide my disappointment in my leaders who thought otherwise. Those leaders who felt it necessary to admonish the practice of decentralized decision-making and put the product over the safety of the human beings we employ.
Still She Leads 
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