We present with pride the following reprint of an article from our Summer 1974 issue, If you havent already read this classic article on the management of agreement —and the catastrophes that result when it is mismanaged —youtre in for a treat. If you have read it, you're in for another treat: Harvey's epilogue, which immediately follows the article, and commentaries by Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Arthur Elliott Carlisle, immediately following the epilogue. Together, the commentaries. by Kanter and Carlisle form. in effect, an “Abilene Defense’ or ways to fend off an Abilene Paradox. ‘No actual silver stake i recommended. just some canny advice on how to maneuver to keep people from rushing into agreement —out of politeness, a misguided.sense of the “lay of the land.” or ignorance —on something that none of them really wants to do or should do. On and off the job. we have all faced our own Abilene Paradox—several times at that. Now we have some ways to face it down. The Abilene Paradox: The Management of Agreement Jerry B. Harvey oC tion §,607) was particularly bot—104 degrees _tainment. Dominoes, Perfect for the cond- ‘as measured by the Walgreeris Rexall Ex-Lax tions, The game required little more physical temperature gauge. In addition, the wind was exertion than an occasional mumbled com- blowing fine-grained West Texas topsoil ment, “Shuffle em.” and an unhurried move- through the house. But the afternoon was still ment of the arm to place the spots in the ap- tolerable—evern potentially enjoyable. There propriate perspective on the table. All in all, § was fan going onthe back porch: there was _ithad the makings ofan agreeable Sunday aftermoon in Coleman —that is, it was unti my father-in-law suddenly said, “Les get in the car and go to Abilene and have dinner at the cafeteria.” I thought, “What, go to Abilene? Fifty-three miles In this dust storm and heat? ‘And in an unairconditioned 1958 Buick?” But my wife chimed in with, "Sounds like a great idea, Id like to go. How about you, Jerry" Si were obviously out of step with the rest I re- plied, “Sounds good to me,” and added,“ just hope your mother wants to g0.” “OF course I want to go," said-my mother-in-law. “I havent been to Abilene in a Tong time.” So into the car and off to Abilene we went. My predictions were fulfilled, The heat was brutal, We were costed with a fine layer of dust that was cemented with perspira tion by the time we arrived. The food at the «cafeteria provided first-rate testimonial mate- rial for antacid commercials. Some four hours and 106 miles tater we returned to Coleman, hot and exhausted. We sat in front of the fan fora longtime in silence. Then, both to be sociable and to break the sifence, I said, “Te was a great trip, wasnt it?" No one spoke. Finally my mother: ce my own preferences in-law said, with some irritation, “Well, to tell the truth, T really didnt enjoy it much and would rather have stayed here. I just went along because the three of you were so en- thusiastic about going. I wouldn't have gone if you all hadn't pressured me into it." [couldn't believe it, “What do you mean ‘you all” I said. “Don't put me in the ‘you all’ group. I was delighted to be doing, what we were doing. I didnt want to go. I only went to satisfy the rest of you. You're the culprits.” My wife looked shocked. “Dost call mea culprit. You and Daddy and Mama were the ones who wanted to go. I just went along to be sociable and to keep you happy. I would have had to be crazy to want to go out in heat like that.” Her father entered the conversation abruptly. “Hell!” he said He proceeded to expand on what was already absolutely clear. ‘Listen, I never wanted to go to Abilene. I just thought you might be bored, You visit so seldom I wanted to be sure you enjoyed it. I would have pre- ferred to play another game of dominoes and cat the leftovers in the icebox.” Alter the outburst of recrimination we all sat back in silence. Here we were, four reasonably sensible people who. of our owi volition, had just taken a 106-mile trip across a godforsaken desert ina furnace-like temper- ature through a cloud-like dust storm to eat unpalatable food ata hole-in-the-wall cafete- ria in Abilene, when none of us had really wanted to go, In fact, to be more accurate, we'd done just the opposite of what we wanted todo. The whole situation simply didrit make At least it dida’t make sense at the time. But since that day in Coleman, I have observed, consulted with, and been a part of more than one organization that has been ‘caught in the same situation. Asa result, theyhave either taken a side-trip, or, occasionally, a terminal journey to Abilene, when Dallas or Houston or Tokyo was where they really wanted to go. And for most of those organi- zations, the negative consequences of such trips, measured in terms of both human mis ‘ery and econemic loss, have been much greater than fer our little Abilene group. This article is concerned with that paradox the Abilene Paradox. Stated simply, it is as follows: Organizations frequently take actions in con:radiction to what they really want to do and therefore defeat the very pur- poses they are :rying to achieve. It also deals, with a major corollary of the paradox, which isthat the inaé-lity to manage agreement is a major source of organization dysfunction. Last, the article is designed to help members of organizations cope more effectively with the paradox’s pernicious influence. ‘As 2 means of accomplishing the above, I shall: 1) describe the symptoms ex hibited by organizations caught in the pat dox: (2) describe, in summarized case-study ‘examples, how they occur in a variety of or- ganizations: (? discuss the underlying causal dynamics; (4. indicate some of the implica- tions of accep=ing this model for describing ‘organizational behavior: (5) make recom- mendations fer coping with the paradox and, in conclusion, (6) relate the paradox to a broader exiscontial issue Swartoms oF =He Parabox ‘The inability 2o manage agreement, not the inability to manage conflict, is the essential symptom that defines organizations caught in the web of the Abilene Paradox. That ina- bility to ananage agreement effectively is ex: pressed by six specific subsymptoms, all of which were present in our family Abilene group. Jenny B. Hanver i profesor of management science atthe George Washington University i Washington, DIC. He sw graduate of the University of Teas in Austin, chee he earned lan undergraduate degre in business adminis tion and @ Ph.D in socal psychologs ‘A member of the International Consultants Foundation, & Diplomate ofthe American Board of Professional Psychology, and a mem ber ofthe OLD. Network, he has served at @ consultant to 0 wide variety of industrial. goo- emmenal rligious, and voluntary organise tions. He has written @ rumber of ates in the fields of orgonzational bekavir and ed cation and currently i involued in the explore tion of moral, ethical and spiritual sues of teork. rte puri ofthat interest. he recently has competed a nero book ented The Abilene Paradox and Oeher Meditations on Manske rent, fo be published by Lexington Boots. | |