Even/over statements

Even/over statements

Published 2024-05-04

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:

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


  1. I can’t quite remember where I first came across even/over statements; a quick search through my reader app suggests it might have been this article by Jurriaan Kamer↩︎