Part of what makes you an enabler of programmers -- and not just a guy who screams "faster! harder!" -- is to be able to push back a little. There's sadly an i

Part of what makes you an enabler of programmers -- and not just a guy who screams "faster! harder!" -- is to be able to push back a little. There's sadly an inherent conflict of interest between the people doing the job on the ground (programmers) and the rulers (managers). Your job is to find the middle ground -- not to completely side with your higher-ups. That would be a good starting point for you IMO.