The Abilene paradox

The Abilene paradox, coined by Professor Jerry Harvey of George Washington University, 1974.

'A married couple and the parents of the wife are sitting on a porch in 104-degree heat in the small town of Coleman, Texas, some 53 miles from Abilene.

They are engaging in as little motion as possible, drinking lemonade, watching the fan spin lazily, and occasionally playing the odd game of dominoes.

At some point, the wife’s father suggests they drive to Abilene to eat at a cafeteria there. The son-in-law thinks this is a bad idea but doesn’t see any need to upset the apple cart, so he goes along with it, as do the two women. They get in their old Buick (with no air conditioning) and set off. During the journey they drive through a dust storm. When they reach Abilene, they eat a mediocre lunch at the cafeteria and return to Coleman exhausted, hot, and generally unhappy with the experience.

It is not until they return home that the frustrations reveal themselves. It is revealed that none of them really wanted to go to Abilene – they were just going along because they thought the others were eager to go.'

Inability to cope with agreement:

• Much agreement in organisations is actually false consensus
• It occurs because many people feel they might be isolated, censured or ridiculed if they voice objections
• This often leads groups to adopt inappropriate goals, without commitment, without ownership
• Is a setup for organisational failure

Building strong dialogue and advocacy/inquiry skills, as well as building confidence that one will not be alienated if one speaks one’s mind, are necessary for making the decision not to go to Abilene.

For more information contact dave@lloydmasters.com