Agile, Chess, and “Il-King”
Is your team just playing the game or winning it?
Someone recently told me: “Agile isn’t for strategy; strategy is like Chess.”
Actually, Chess is exactly how Agile should flow.
In Chess, the goal is the King.
In Agile, the goal is Value.
Every move serves that purpose.
The Sprint: Your next move on the board.
The Spike: Research or “luring out the opponent” to reduce uncertainty.
The Feedback: Your opponent’s counter-move that forces you to adapt.
Knowing the rules of Chess doesn’t make you a Grandmaster. Likewise, memorizing the Scrum Guide doesn’t make you Agile.
The Maltese Twist: “Aw King!”In Malta, we use “King” for everything.
But in business, many organizations play “Cargo Cult Agile.“
They copy ceremonies, use the buzzwords, and act very busy, but they aren’t actually playing to win.
They’re just moving pieces without a strategy.
We see Agile mastery not about memorizing patterns; it’s about adaptation.
It’s seeing the board clearly, responding to the unexpected, and never losing sight of the “King” (the goal).
Who is the “Elvis” of Agile?Malta has its traditional kings, and the music world had Elvis.
If Agile had its own Elvis, someone who showed true mastery rather than just following the “rules”, what behaviors would make you say: “Ehh, dak veru King!”?
What does “Agile Mastery” look like to you in a Maltese workplace?
Tell us in the comments!
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