But that is a failure of middle management. Middle management's main job is to get the ones who actually do things the tools they need. That includes roadmaps t

But that is a failure of middle management. Middle management's main job is to get the ones who actually do things the tools they need. That includes roadmaps that make sense, etc. That also includes showing upper management the value of the opinions of the ones who actually do things. Upper management is not the advocate for opinions, they are the decision makers who base decisions on what they have been fed. Middle managers are the advocates for the opinions of their people.