What do you want?
It seems like an easy question. But when most people try to answer it, they realize something quickly: it’s often easier to name what they don’t want than what they actually do. That’s not a personal flaw. It’s human.
People are naturally creative. Not just in artistic ways, but in the deeply human ways we adapt, solve problems, imagine possibilities, make meaning, and build what does not yet exist. We do this all the time. Organizations, as organized groups of people working toward a shared purpose, are creative too.
But creativity without clarity often gets spent reinforcing what is already there. Instead of creating something truly new, we end up refining, repeating, or rearranging what already exists. That is why this question matters so much. If we want to build something meaningful, we have to get clear about what we actually want to create.
As humans, our brains are wired to scan for problems and threats. Long before calendars and KPIs, survival depended on noticing what was unsafe or unstable. Over time, we developed a built-in tilt toward negative information.
In psychology, this is called negativity bias: our minds naturally pay more attention to what’s wrong, what’s missing, and what could go sideways.
So yes, we’re wired to notice what we don’t want.
At the organizational level, this shows up in a really familiar way:
People spend weeks, months, sometimes years plugging holes, fixing friction, solving recurring problems, and reacting to the loudest issue in the room. All while not making meaningful progress toward the outcomes everyone says they want. It becomes a culture of “managing what’s broken” instead of “building what’s needed.”
Don’t get us wrong, problems matter and deserve attention. But if an organization only talks in problems, it becomes harder to set a clear direction, make good tradeoffs, prioritize what actually matters, measure progress, and build momentum.
Instead of answering “What’s wrong?” it may be helpful to ask, “What do we want instead?”
This is a quick way to interrupt the problem loop and get clearer about the outcome.
Take a few deep breaths. Still your body.
For this exercise, temporarily erase current constraints, existing processes, inherited systems, past failures, or the idea that “this is how we’ve always done it. You can bring them back later, but for now, we’re starting with a clean slate.
Now, take a moment to answer the question: What do you want? Recognize that this answer isn’t the same as what you want to stop or fix. This is more about what you want to create.
If you’re unsure, try these prompts:
Once you’ve named the outcome you’re after, get specific enough that it can guide decisions. You can use this quick structure to make it actionable.
Write one sentence about what you want.
Example:
List 2–3 visible signs that will indicate you’ve achieved your want.
Example:
Now, identify one action that can happen within 7 days to put you on the path toward turning your wants into a reality. This is where “want” becomes achievable.
Example:
Negativity bias will always be part of being human. The goal isn’t to eliminate it, but to balance it. The goal is to balance it. Negativity bias and the problems it highlights can tell us what’s happening. But answering questions about what you actually want will tell you where you’re going next.
So we’ll ask again: What do you want?
