There are many ways to name Benefits, but the more specific and precise you are, the easier it is for others to understand, stay consistent, and identify the right measures to track the right things.
Describing Benefits: Use MEDIC to Stay Clear and Consistent
A Benefit can reflect either a positive or negative change. To help define them clearly, Wovex uses five common categories—easily remembered by the acronym MEDIC:
Maintain
Eliminate
Decrease
Increase
Create
Each category gives you a useful way to phrase your Benefits clearly and consistently.
If the Benefit is to be Maintained:
Use words like:
Maintained, Frozen, Held, Stabilised, Equalled
If the Benefit is to Eliminate something:
Use words like:
Eliminated, Stopped, Removed, Disposed
If the Benefit is to Decrease something:
Use words like:
Decreased, Reduced, Lessened, Weakened, Slowed, Receded
If the Benefit is to Increase something:
Use words like:
Increased, Strengthened, Heightened, Freed, Released, Deepened
If the Benefit is to Create something new:
Use words like:
Created, Started, Delivered, Made available
💡 Tip:
It’s often helpful to phrase Benefits in the past tense, as if they’ve already been realised. This keeps your focus on what success looks like, makes your Benefits Map more engaging, and helps teams stay aligned on what needs to be measured and delivered.