Ever been in a group where, somehow, you all ended up going somewhere or doing something that NOONE wanted to do? Or, have you ever wondered why groups of people sometimes seem to have an intelligence level that is significantly lower than any of the individuals when working alone?
Group dynamics explain why this can happen. One of the more interesting patterns of group dynamics to be described in recent times is "The Abilene Paradox". This paradox explains how, through mismanaged agreement, groups end up doing things AGAINST THEIR OWN INTERESTS AND AGAINST THE INTERESTS OR DESIRES OF THE GROUP MEMBERS.
From the original article (PDF text)
May 2004
The Abilene Paradox
C H R I S L O N S D A L E & A S S O C I AT E S
The Abilene Paradox The Problem of Managing Agreement
in 1974, Professor Jerry Harvey of George apple cart. After a few moments, he goes Washington University developed a along with it, as do the two women. parable from his own real-life experi- The family gets in their old Buick, without air ence. The parable describes the issues sur- conditioning, and drive through a dust storm rounding how individuals reach agreement, to Abilene. They eat a mediocre lunch at the or, more specifically, how they believe they cafeteria and return to Coleman. They are have reached agreement when they really have exhausted, hot, and generally unhappy with not. This parable applies to decisions made the experience. in the board-room, in corporate management teams, and even in families. It happens all After they return home it becomes slowly the time, and knowing how to recognize it can revealed that none of them really wanted to help any group be more effective, and happier. go to Abilene–they were just going along because they thought the others were eager to go. The Parable of The story then leads into a discussion of what the Abilene Paradox Professor. Harvey believes is a major symptom The Parable of the Abilene Paradox is present- of organizational dysfunction: the management ed as a short movie, set in the 1960’s. Four of agreement–as opposed to the management adults are sitting on a porch in 104-degree of disagreement or conflict. This viewpoint heat in the small town of Coleman, Texas, gives us a different way of thinking about how some 53 miles from Abilene. They are engaging we communicate, and how we decide, in in as little motion as possible. In response to groups. Through the use of the paradox, we the heat they are drinking lemonade, watching get to explore how we do or do not engage the fan spin lazily, and playing dominoes. The in deep inquiry and in self-disclosure when characters are a married couple and the wife’s attempting to come to agreement with others. parents. In a lazy moment, the wife’s father suggests Recognizing the Abilene Paradox they drive to Abilene to eat at a cafeteria there. The son-in-law asks some questions about In the video, Professor. Harvey points to six the temperature and the car. To the viewer, characteristics that show when a group is he is clearly thinking that the idea is a bit crazy, failing to manage agreement effectively: but he doesn’t see any need to upset the 1. Members individually, but privately, agree
C H R I S L O N S D A L E & A S S O C I AT E S
The Abilene Paradox
about their current situation. The group in tion, anger, and dissatisfaction with the Coleman knew individually that they were organization. Often this leads to the forming satisfied with just sitting on the porch. of sub-groups that take combative or blam- 2. Members agree, again in private, about ing positions toward each other. The what it would take to deal with the situation. Abilene group begins asking themselves In this case, the members privately agreed immediately, "Whose crazy idea was this that staying on the porch was a good way anyway?" and thus starts the blaming cycle. to spend a hot and dusty day. Frequently, the blame is directed towards the most senior person who is seen to be 3. Members fail to communicate their desires the cause of the problem, and the group and/or beliefs to one another. Sometimes reacts by becoming angrily silent towards they even communicate the very opposite the leader. In the video, the Father is initially of their wishes based on what they assume blamed for putting the group into this situ- are the desires and opinions of others. ation. The roles of the other members are Part of the problem is that people make not acknowledged. incorrect assumptions about consensus. In the Abilene case, one suggestion (offered 6. Importantly, because the focus of attention on the assumption that the people wanted is often placed on disagreement and con- to do something besides sit on the porch) flict, when the problem is really one of began a sequence of different individuals miscommunicated agreement, members agreeing with the idea. This was in spite are destined to repeat the same situation. of each person’s private misgivings about This is ultimately very unsatisfying and the desirability and wisdom of making the dysfunctional, and can lead to serious long- trip to Abilene. term problems in an organization.
4. Based on inaccurate perceptions and as- sumptions, members make a collective What Causes the Abilene Paradox? decision that leads to action. It is in the The video provokes us to think, why on earth middle of the action that it would intelligent and sensible people actually becomes quite apparent speak against their own desires? that the decision is What psychological rea- NOT what individual sons are there members of the for do- group desire. It is in this way that a group arrives at a desti- ing nation they did not want to go some- to in the first thing that place. is guaran- 5. As a result of this teed to result situation, members in both indi- experience frustra- vidual discomfort
C H R I S L O N S D A L E & A S S O C I AT E S
The Abilene Paradox
and in a lack of full and valid information for Breaking the cycle is critical to the health and the group and our organizations? effectiveness of any organization or work The main reasons are psychological. People group. The health of an organization can behave in this manner NOT because they are only be accomplished by building new com- afraid of the unknown. Harvey’s hypothesis, munication habits and getting beyond our which is quite different from others, is that fears. we know what we are afraid of. It generally Harvey believes that collusion motivates us has to do with loneliness, being left out, to accept decisions and actions with which separation, and alienation. This makes sense. we fundamentally disagree or question. We In the not-too-distant past, to be left out of are ourselves to blame, because of our failure the group frequently meant death. to challenge thinking that we believe to be To avoid being ostracized or alienated we will wrong-headed or, at the very least, headed actually act against our best interests, hoping in the wrong direction. To avoid "making a to be "part" of something. We hope to be trip to Abilene" in our organizations requires members of the whole. courage – the courage to refuse to be a victim, the courage to not victimize others, and the We also tend to believe that any decision or courage to deeply challenge our own thinking action is better than no action at all. The and that of others. problem is that there is incomplete information in individual minds. The need to act together, to be seen as cohesive, overrides the need Abilene in the Board Room to be explicit about group assumptions, de- Boards are particularly susceptible to the sires, opinions, and even facts. Abilene Paradox because the degree of mu- In Professor Harvey’s parlance, this is "action tual understanding and trust needed to avoid anxiety". He believes it works in close con- the paradox are generally not present. Trust junction with another piece of the paradox and mutual understanding is just easier to puzzle: negative fantasies. These are fantasies build in groups that work closely together, each individual harbors of what they think than in groups that only come together a few would happen if they actually spoke their times a year. minds and offered their desires or opinions In many boards it is important to keep to the to the group. norm of “niceness” rather than risk confronting other members of the board with views that Avoiding the Trip to Abilene we fear might conflict with theirs.
It is critically important to break the cycle that so often leads us to blaming each other for bad decisions and actions that we "knew" we did not agree with in the first place.
C H R I S L O N S D A L E & A S S O C I AT E S
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Originally published 2004-04-17 · Legacy CMS article #6567