There's an assumption here that the amount of design and planning is the correct amount of design and planning. Your statement suggests you want your cake and t

There's an assumption here that the amount of design and planning is the correct amount of design and planning. Your statement suggests you want your cake and to eat it too. You want freedom from management, but then want exact specification when advised to "build a box." There is likely a happy medium and I would suggest that your manager probably understands that dynamic more completely than you. Edit: Agree that technical managers are best suited to evaluate the level of design and planning.