I recently responded to a question from my Linked-In network. The individual posed the question  " Is it more important to ask 'How?' or 'Why?' when prioritizing your work?"  A lively discussion ensued.

One person said that it depends on where you are in your career - a young associate should focus on 'How" because quality in execution is very important as you build a career. Another person said that they make a matrix of everything they need to do and divide it into Important/urgent, Important/not urgent, not important/urgent, not important/not urgent. After they've done this, then they ask How important is it? and WHY is it urgent?

Here's the response I gave:

“I usually start with "Why" the task or assignment matters. Does it increase the value of my organization in terms of increased revenue or decreased costs. Does it improve my career position by helping me learn new skills or build new relationships. The answers to these questions help me to decide whether the task is important enough to be done. After that, the "How" question comes into play. Does it require my personal involvement or is it something that is better delegated to a subordinate.”