Don't Let Groupthink Derail Your Decisions

I had a real MBA moment the other day – one of those times when an idea you studied in business school comes to life.

In this case it was the “Abilene Paradox,” a group behavioral model that’s captured in a kind of fable called “The Road to Abilene.” The story goes like this:

On a hot afternoon in a small town in Texas, a family is comfortably passing time on the porch, until the father-in-law suggests that they take a trip to Abilene – about 50 miles away -- for dinner. The wife says, "Sounds like a great idea." The husband, despite having reservations because the drive is long and hot, thinks that his preferences must be out-of-step with the group and says, "Sounds good to me. I just hope your mother wants to go." The mother-in-law then says, "Of course I want to go. I haven't been to Abilene in a long time."

The drive is hot, dusty, and long. When they get to the restaurant there, the food is as bad as the drive. They arrive back home four hours later, exhausted and unsatisfied.

One of them dishonestly says, "It was a great trip, wasn't it?" But the mother-in-law finally says that, actually, she would rather have stayed home, but went along since the other three were so enthusiastic. The husband says, “I only went to satisfy the rest of you." The wife says, "I just went along to keep you happy. I’d have to be crazy to want to go out in the heat like that." The father-in-law then says that he only suggested it because he thought the others might be bored just sitting around on the porch.

The group sits back, perplexed that they together decided to take a trip that none of them actually wanted. They each would have preferred to sit comfortably, but failed to voice their real thoughts when they still had time to enjoy the afternoon.

So, how many trips have you taken to Abilene?  I know I’ve been there.  And while I’m sure the real Abilene is a fine place, you don’t want to go to the metaphorical one.  Life’s too short to waste time, effort and spirit heading in the wrong direction for the wrong reasons.  And the decisions we make as groups – from the family dinner table to the corporate board room -- are too important to let them meander this way, without focus, discipline, and purpose.

I’ve seen this dynamic take hold many times.  It’s a form of group think.  And it arises in a leadership vacuum.  If a group is not led in a productive direction, it will drift into others.  That’s how seemingly unaccountable decisions get made.  You wonder after the fact, “How did such a good and smart group of people possibly make such a terrible decision?”

This happens in business with vexing regularity.  And each time it begins with one person proposing a questionable idea . . . and at least a majority of the remainder going along with it.

I think the fundamental dynamic is a simple one:  people want to get along.  It’s partly a politeness trap.  “We’re part of this group together . . . I like the people and the purpose we’re here for . . . you sure seem to feel strongly about this, and it seems like no one else is disagreeing    . . . so, okay, I’ll support your idea.”

Going along to get along is just a basic human social behavior.  And, in the absence of either compelling information or leadership to the contrary, that dynamic will prevail, essentially by inertia.

So, how do we avoid taking the Road to Abilene?  The best way is simple:  respect one another enough to talk straight.  Speaking the truth is a fundamental form of leadership.  People who are working together to accomplish any kind of shared goal – from a major business initiative to a family outing – have to be able to communicate clearly and honestly.  That requires trust.  But it also builds trust.

The Road to Abilene is long, indirect, and takes you where you don’t want to go.  Honest, straight talk is the fast lane to your true destination.