Agile Methodology Possibly Not Best For Programmer Productivity

I’m currently working in a strictly agile-based development team. It’s ironic, but I love the nimbleness and high-level of communication that a structured agile environment gives us. I think agile methodologies are the best way to properly manage everybody’s expectations — developers, project managers, product owners, and any other stakeholders.

I’m not sure, however, that agile methodologies are the best way to get every ounce out of every programmer. I think that agile methodologies limit a programmer’s vision in a couple of ways:

  1. Grandiose epics are split up into smaller stories and even smaller tasks. Sometimes a programmer can get tunnel vision only focusing on a small task and overlooking the epic.
  2. Daily stand-ups don’t encourage strategy and vision; they only encourage task completion. When do the programmers, who are undoubtedly the smartest people in the office 🙂 give their input into strategy and vision?

What do you think? Are programmers’ brains fully utilized in an agile environment?