Abilene Paradox: A Gap Analysis

The surest way to avoid the Abilene Paradox is to voice your opinion. Those who oppose and/or are uncomfortable with a decision should, acknowledge their displeasure. Effective communication is essential, especially when making decisions. A lack of communication may serve as a hindrance to a group’s progression. Free will grant us the opportunity to either agree or disagree. Contrary to popular belief, it is more than acceptable to disagree with the majority rule. According to Thompson (2011), “The majority rule ignores member’s strengths of preference for alternatives”, (p. 157). Majority rule may also encourage the formation of coalitions, or subgroups within a team (Thompson, 2011, p.157). When individual team members are intimidated

or feel that their efforts will not be worthwhile, they are less likely to express or defend their viewpoints. The solution to avoiding the Abilene Paradox is to confront the issue in a team setting. The most straightforward approach involves meeting with the organization member who are key figures in the problem and its solution (Thompson, 2011). Remember to voice your opinion and shy away from conformity pressure.

Have I ever found myself in this situation?

Yes, I had my fair share of encounters with the Abilene Paradox. Let us rewind back to my undergraduate days, shall we. November 1, 2011 is the date that resonates with me the most. Professor, Washington informed us that she would be pairing the students up in groups for a group project. She was fully aware that students would show favoritism and choose to work exclusively with their friends and/or associates. Professor, Washington countered this by orchestrating random groups. The purpose of the random groups was to pair students off with those whom were unfamiliar. This obviously did not sit well with most students because it forced them to meet new people. The theme was to choose a foreign country and explain how its culture was similar and how it differed from the United States. Professor, Washington paired me with three other students, but I only knew one prior to the project. Initially, everyone suggested a country, but failed to reach an agreement. After about twenty minutes of arguing what country we would research, Chris suggested that we look into Thailand. At that moment, we just all looked at each other and said, “Yeah, ok. In hindsight, we only agreed with Chris because he had the reputation of being an honor student. We later discovered that no one but Chris wanted to report on Thailand. Ironically, we all agree because everyone else did. At that point, we all became a

conformist.

Reference
Thompson, L. L. (2011). Making the team: A guide for Managers (4th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.