For software development, shouldn't the main aim be to have good fallbacks, rather than an aggressive carrot .

... and stick methodology with deadlines and milestones

For software development, shouldn't the main aim be to have good fallbacks, rather than an aggressive carrot .
I agree with bigrez, but I think to treat the issue at the level of the entire development shop is wrong.





Different individuals respond best to different management styles from very little interaction to being chased often for detail checks.





One of the biggest problems I see is management adopting a strategy and then applying it universally across all development staff.
Reply:It depends on your perspective.





The Software Engineer's goal is to build quality software that meets the requirements. (Does not exceed those requirements - doing so is an invitation for trouble.) They work within the schedule given to them and often negotiate that schedule.





The management team is concerned not only with the end product, but did it cost more than they wanted it to and did it take too long.





There are tons of books and as many different opinions about all of this. You need to understand the philosophy for your own shop because it is probably different elsewhere.