Even/over statements

Even/over statements¹ are a prioritisation tool used to clarify the relative importance between competing goals, tasks, or values. Every statement explicitly expresses that one item is prioritised even over another, making tradeoffs visible and unambiguous.

The basic structure is:

[Priority A] even over [Priority B]

For example:

• Project X even over Project Y
• Momentum even over Optimization
• Speed even over Stability

By listing competing priorities in this format, the exercise forces what truly matters to the surface. It highlights the implicit tradeoffs stakeholders are often making subconsciously and provides a simple framework for clearer decision-making when priorities conflict.

Common pitfalls

• It’s tempting to write statements as [Good thing] even over [Bad thing] — for example, honesty even over deception. But doing so reduces the tool’s usefulness. The inverse (deception even over honesty) should still represent a valid, meaningful tradeoff — not an obviously undesirable one.