From Inclusive to Focused Goals using Even Over statements
Inclusive culture is good. Inclusive goals are not. How Even Over statements force the trade-off conversations your OKRs need to have real teeth and drive actual focus.
Good goals make tradeoffs visible
Do you ever feel like your goals are too inclusive? Being inclusive is essential for culture, but it is not always useful for setting goals. A goal should mean something. It should not be an excuse to keep spreading attention everywhere.
One question I like to ask about a goal is: “What investments will we not make because of this goal?” This is one of my favorite questions to drop into a group of portfolio leaders trying to figure out Strategic Themes or OKRs.
Another technique is using “Even Over” statements. For example: “Improved Customer Onboarding Experience even over New Features” or “Plug Churn even over New Logos.” The Agile Manifesto for Software Development is an excellent example of even-over thinking.
Consider your current goals, whether they are Product Goals, Strategic Themes, or outcome hypotheses for an epic or feature. Does the goal clarify what is in and out? Is it clear what really matters? Could an even-over statement make the tradeoff impossible to avoid?
Get the AI prompt swipe file for diagnosing and rewriting broken OKRs — practical prompts for leaders who are done with OKR theater.
Yuval Yeret helps product and tech leaders move from agile theater to evidence-informed delivery. Work with Yuval →
