[Someone1234]

That's why "it's better to ask forgiveness than permission" is so key working in that environment.

While you cannot do massive things and get away with it, you can get in a long of small fixes and improvements (which can add up) and just apologize if anyone notices.

If you had to ask permission for every tiny change it may take weeks and the ultimate decision would contain the kitchen sink anyway. Instead just do what has to be done and try not to get caught.

[allendoerfer]

When a customer micro-manages me and does not listen to my advice I usually lose the interest in the project and just finish it to get paid. If I would be employed in such an environment I probably would not care to slip in improvements, because I would feel no sense of ownership in the project.