Prioritization is critical for a company to achieve what it sets out to do. It drives productivity, employee engagement and strategic alignment between teams, functions and the entire organization. Unfortunately, many businesses and their workforces struggle with prioritization because of the interplay between a variety of psychological, behavioral, operational and structural factors. According to a 2024 study by Reclaim, this struggle forces the average professional to put in 7.6 hours of overtime weekly to grasp the shifting tasks assigned to them, and causes as little as 5% of employees to feel that they understand their company’s strategy.
It's true these issues can’t be remedied by just one tactic—it takes real behavior change and a consequential mindset shift across all levels of an organization to solve them. That said, prioritization decisions start with conversations, and there are some basic frameworks that can lead to better, more strategic conversations around whatever you’re committing to.
7.6 hours
of overtime weekly is spent on employees trying to grasp the shifting tasks assigned to them.
In my day-to-day work leading teams and advising clients, I have five go-to questions that I use to facilitate impactful conversations and bring prioritization to the forefront. Though they require tailoring to the specifics of each situation, these questions can be used across different working contexts and professional dynamics—anywhere there’s a need to be strategic with time and effort. Here’s each question, accompanied by a brief explanation of what it helps achieve.
Do we know for sure that this isn’t duplicative?
Avoids spinning your wheels on something that’s already being done elsewhere.
What is the purpose of this ask and who is the audience?
Knowing the “why” and “for whom” ensures your work hits the mark.
Can you help me understand how this task compares to the others on my plate?
Understanding how the ask connects to other requests you’ve been tasked with puts it into context and clarifies where this should fall on your list of priorities.
What are the risks to the business if this isn’t completed now
Assesses urgency and risk to the business if you deprioritize or re-prioritize over something that was a priority yesterday.
What does success look like for this assignment?
Creates alignment, reduces ambiguity and expedites delivery of work that hits the mark.
For a timely example, it’s October and business planning is in full swing. At the center of all the number crunching is the overarching roadmap that will enable the business to realize its 2026 goals. Before any math can begin, it’s critical that this plan is sound and powered by crystal clear projects, needs and desired outcomes. In other words, this is a perfect opportunity to use the questions above for a strategic discussion that ensures a more focused, efficient and successful plan.
- Do we know this isn’t duplicative? In this context, this question will prevent redundant resource allocation.
- Can we discuss how this project compares to that project? This helps you understand what the priority projects are so you can adjust resources accordingly as you go through business planning.
- What are the risks to the business if we miss our deadline? In addition to making negative consequences known, this question identifies risks and propels proactive preparation to mitigate them.
- What does success look like?This will build understanding of desired outcomes and the criteria for measuring them across all planning teams.
When used for this work, the questions drive clarity, prevent waste, foster alignment and support strategic decision-making.
And like I've tried to stress, business planning is just one of the many arenas in which these questions can be invaluable. Feel a need to better manage up? Ask these questions to your leader and they may start to see you as a strategic partner. Make your living on the consulting side? Use these to better balance your client’s needs or help them see they may not be thinking about something in a way that will best move the work forward. Are you a manager who can’t quite get through to your team? Discuss these questions to better connect them to the tasks you’ve assigned. Sitting on a cross-functional team? Raise these questions and elevate your standing. You can use these with vendors, networking contacts, mentors and mentees. There are no professional relationships in which you shouldn’t use them because when they aren’t asked, duplicative, misaligned tasks that don’t move the needle or your audience end up being emphasized. This results in projects falling behind, wasted budgets, and disengaged collaborators. Having the right people on a project doesn’t amount to much if they are focused on the wrong things.
It's important to note—as beneficial as these questions are, they will fall on deaf ears if you don’t offer them with empathy. Remember, the intent is to provide or seek support and guidance. It’s never to undermine or demoralize. Frame your questions as a desire to contribute meaningfully to the team, the firm and/or your stakeholders’ success. For example: “I want to make sure I’m concentrating on what matters most. Can we talk through how this request fits with our current priorities?”
By raising smart, strategic questions, you help all those in your professional world prioritize, connect work to the company’s objectives, and ensure high value asks are being addressed. In a drowning sea of asks and tasks, you can be the person who throws out the life preserver—even to those you report to—that helps them make sense of it all, lean-in to the right things and deliver impact with purpose.
