What is Abilene paradox and ways to minimize it

As stated by Jerry B Harvey’s 1974 article ”The Abilene Paradox: The Management of Agreement” it is a situation in which a group’s choice is in direct opposition to what each individual member believes and feels. It happens when a group of people makes a collective decision even if it does not fit the viewpoints of individuals in the group.

Despite the fact that one of the team members does not think the suggestion fits, he/she does not disclose his/her true thoughts due to a desire to maintain the cohesion of the group or a fear of potential bad effects. As a result, the group starts acting on conflicts or erroneous information. The colleague who suggested the action might be hesitant to take it.

What causes the Abilene paradox?

Breakdown of effective communication with a group or organization is one of the primary reasons for the Abilene paradox. However there are other factors including:

• Fear of disagreement: People fear disagreement or conflict with the group members that they withhold their original points or preferences to avoid any potential confrontation or argument from other team members. This fear can lead to a group reaching out to a false consensus where everyone assumes that others are aligned to one point.
• Assumption of consensus: when group members mistakenly believe that everyone else in the group agrees with a particular course of action. The assumption arises during the discussion when no one expresses their views, leading to a false sense of unanimous agreement.
• Desire for Harmony: Many individuals have a desire for harmony and prefer not to be in argument with anyone however big it is. These individuals may go along with the group idea in order to maintain peace and avoid disrupting group dynamics.
• Lack of communication skills: Some people may lack the communication skills or assertiveness to express their opinion effectively. They may fear their views will be misunderstood or rejected.
• Peer pressure: peer pressure and social influence can play a significant role in Abilene paradox. Individuals may confirm to the majority rather than confronting them and perceive majority opinion to fit within the group or gain acceptance.
• Leadership Influence: The behavior and attitude of the leaders may have a strong impact on the group decision. If a leader expresses a preference others may confirm it without any questioning since they want to go against their leader which might stir problems in their daily life in the future if leaders develop a negative opinion about them.

How Can the Abilene Paradox Be Avoided?

To avoid Abilene paradox consider implementing the following activities:

• Encourage open communication: Creating an environment where each individual feels safe and are encouraged to express their opinion without the fear of hostility and getting cut by other parties.
• Active listening: Encourage everyone in the group to actively listen to one another without any judgment. This includes leaders, managers and people with different opinions.
• Designate a devil advocate: Appoint someone in the group to be a devil advocate whose sole purpose is to challenge the assumption made by the group and encourage discussion of alternative viewpoints.
• Anonymous feedback: in some cases managers can use anonymous feedback options such as suggestion box or survey where everyone can note down their viewpoints without fear of disclosing their identity.
• Establish a decision making process: Develop a clear decision making process that includes steps for gathering feedback and input from the team and ways to reach a consensus.
• Use Decision support tools: Use tools such as decision matrices to objectively evaluate and compare alternatives based on predetermined decisions made by the group.
• Document Decision: Managers can also note down rational points and decisions and make it accessible for all the group to go through to promote transparency and accountability. This will help people review their own or other points and come to a census.