Conclusion
Adopting an iterative and incremental development approach is a fundamental change in working practices for the management team and everyone else involved in the project. Successful iterative and incremental development requires a progressive and adaptive approach to be taken to the management of the project and requires the whole team to embrace change and the continual improvement that this change will hopefully produce.
In any change effort, it is essential to demonstrate the value of the change as soon as possible to overcome resistance and build support for the change. The only way that can be done is by achieving the desired technical and business results quickly and efficiently. The fastest way to reach these results is to introduce the change as part of getting real work done; if the change is considered separate from the "real work," it will never produce results. With the guidance and leadership of an effective coach, and with the support of management to measure and reward positive results and positive change, teams can improve their process while getting real work done. Process improvement and getting results should not be considered mutually exclusive.
To expand beyond individual projects, you will need enlightened but benevolent dictatorship coupled with the demonstration through real results to all involved that the future can be better. It also requires leadership, real leadership—not the phony slogans of motivational posters, but roll-up-your-sleeves, hands-on leadership from the front that shows that you have a stake in the outcome. No one is going to believe you if you sit on the sidelines cheering; you have to be in the game.
Iterative development is not hard, but changing the way that people work is. In this book we have provided you with the background information and the practical guidance necessary to deliver better results through your software development efforts. The next step is yours: you now get to put these concepts into action. We hope that the approaches and techniques we have presented in this book will help you and your organization to succeed and thrive by achieving the full promise of iterative development.