Ever wondered why groups sometimes make decisions that no one truly agrees with? It all ties back to a fascinating concept known as the Abilene Paradox. Join me as I kick off with a nostalgic trip down memory lane, recalling an enlightening biochemistry lesson on the Krebs cycle with Professor Ekeke. This reflection sets the stage for a deeper exploration into the paradox that Jeremy Harvey introduced, demonstrating how we often comply with what we think others want, only to end up on a metaphorical—and sometimes literal—trip to Abilene.
Moving forward, we dissect the origins of the Abilene Paradox and its unfortunate consequences, from a misguided family road trip to the catastrophic 1986 NASA shuttle tragedy. The conversation underscores the critical need for managing agreement rather than merely avoiding conflict. Through real-world examples and compelling analogies, we highlight the essence of open communication and the pitfalls of failing to question the status quo. This segment is a powerful reminder that innovation thrives on the collective wisdom of diverse voices.
In the concluding chapter, we expand the discussion to the broader implications of this paradox in various domains, from family dynamics to organizational practices and even national governance. By reflecting on historical anecdotes and leadership insights, like Ricardo Semler's revolutionary approach at his Brazilian family business, we illustrate the transformative power of inclusive decision-making. Wrapping up, I encourage listeners to stay connected through social media and explore my books and YouTube channel for more enriching content. Tune in, stay inspired, and remember the profound impact of genuinely listening and agreeing on our collective journey forward.
Ever wondered why groups sometimes make decisions that no one truly agrees with? It all ties back to a fascinating concept known as the Abilene Paradox. Join me as I kick off with a nostalgic trip down memory lane, recalling an enlightening biochemistry lesson on the Krebs cycle with Professor Ekeke. This reflection sets the stage for a deeper exploration into the paradox that Jeremy Harvey introduced, demonstrating how we often comply with what we think others want, only to end up on a metaphorical—and sometimes literal—trip to Abilene.
Moving forward, we dissect the origins of the Abilene Paradox and its unfortunate consequences, from a misguided family road trip to the catastrophic 1986 NASA shuttle tragedy. The conversation underscores the critical need for managing agreement rather than merely avoiding conflict. Through real-world examples and compelling analogies, we highlight the essence of open communication and the pitfalls of failing to question the status quo. This segment is a powerful reminder that innovation thrives on the collective wisdom of diverse voices.
In the concluding chapter, we expand the discussion to the broader implications of this paradox in various domains, from family dynamics to organizational practices and even national governance. By reflecting on historical anecdotes and leadership insights, like Ricardo Semler's revolutionary approach at his Brazilian family business, we illustrate the transformative power of inclusive decision-making. Wrapping up, I encourage listeners to stay connected through social media and explore my books and YouTube channel for more enriching content. Tune in, stay inspired, and remember the profound impact of genuinely listening and agreeing on our collective journey forward.
Hello there, welcome to the World Cafe podcast. This podcast has been designed with created content that centers on the power of words. Can we really do anything without speaking? Can we really do anything without the agency of words? Yes, that is what this podcast is all about, and I am your host, amakri Isubwe, your neighborhood word trader. I believe in the power of words, for it is the unit of creation. I trade in words to profit my world.
Speaker 1:
Hello there, how are you Beautiful? Okay, before I go into all the pleasantries and all that, you know how we do it on the show and I'm going to begin Yep, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good everything. Wherever you are at this particular instant, hearing my voice on the surface of the earth, how are you doing? What's it like at your end, beautiful? Well, at my end we have it sunny today. You know, it's pretty sunny today and, quite what I say, humid, you know, and we're just there having fun, going on and on. What's it like at your end? Beautiful? I know we're all dealing with life in one way or the other, and beautiful Life is a gift. It's a beautiful thing and we can make the best use of it. You know, that's why we're here. It's a gift, all right, before I go into what we'll be talking about today, I want to do a little bit of not really storytelling per se now. Storytelling, yes, but a little bit of, you know, round and round and round. Before we now zero in to what we're here, I'll tell you the topic of what we'll talk about. But I want to begin it from an experience I had back in school, undergrad. Then I did biochemistry as my first degree, and biochemistry is one course that is so abstract in its entirety. You know, if you want to do physiology, medicine, anatomy, biochemistry has a lot to do. It has a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot to play there.
Speaker 1:
Yep, so one of our classes, you know, one of our professors, professor Ekeke. Yes, that's his name, and we're talking about the Krebs Circle, the Tri-Kabozilik Circle, for those of you who understand that, and how it was elucidated, explained, and the person that worked on it won a Nobel Prize for his hand scraps, that's his name. But the day he came to teach us about, you know, the Tri-Cabozilic Circle, crab Circle, he just told us. He started by saying that what he's teaching, or what he's telling us now, it's happening within our system as he's talking. You know Tri-Caboosylic cycle let me just summarize it for the purpose of what we are doing, you know, describes how energy is produced when we consume food. You know typical glucose, how the cycle starts from that point up until you come to that point of adenosine, trifosfate and adph, as we call it. Yes, I did a lot of that back in school, you know so, and he's like he. He said what I'm telling you about is happening in your system. And the beautiful thing is hans krebs is. Hans Krebs, who elucidated the tricarposylic circle, was like he had to peer into that dimension of blocking things from obscurity, bringing things that are so abstract to reality and somehow empirically proven their existence, so to say, and he won a Nobel Prize for that. You can go, he did so much. You know, when you go, talk about the mitochondria, what happens in there and all that. Okay, let me not bore you with all the you know, biochemical jargons now.
Speaker 1:
Now, this is why I'm beginning this episode of the World Cafe podcast on this. You know, we're surrounded with by a lot of principles, governed by laws that, even when you don't, when you are ignorant, so to say, you're not aware it doesn't stop them from taking place, but a lot of us who have come to pluck those things out of obscurity and somehow formulate certain theories, laws I mean not laws, now principles that we live by and we ascribe it to them. These are amazing minds. Be it in the scientific area, be it in the arts, be it in humanities, be it in what have you, they sit down somehow, they conceptualize this abstraction as we want to call it, what we want to call it, and all of that. So it brings me to what I want to talk about today. Yes, I know you're dying to hear that. Okay, the title of what I want to talk about today is the Abilene Paradox. Abilene Paradox. It is spelled A-B-I-L-E-N-E. Abilene Paradox.
Speaker 1:
Some time ago, I overheard, yes, this great man, joe Audrey Ezebo. Yes, I mean Audrey, joe Ezeigu, I beg your pardon. She was talking about it and it caught my attention and I went to do some reading about the Abilene Paradox. Such an amazing, amazing, what I call it concept or theory.
Speaker 1:
First of all, I want us to look at the word paradox. What's the meaning of paradox For those of us who are English, we love English and we, just before you do anything, you know I'll do some. Yeah, let's define it. Or let us look into the meaning of the word paradox. Yeah, let's define it. Or let us look into the meaning of the word paradox A statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense, and yet is perhaps true, yet self-contradictory.
Speaker 1:
A self-contradictory statement, you know, at first it seems true, an argument, blah, blah, blah and all of that, but simply put something that looks contradictory but in itself is very true, and that is the Abilene paradox. It is called, you know, simply put, the management of agreement. You know, when I looked at that, the management of agreement, what came to my mind was, you know that scripture that tells me can two walk together? Said they are in agreement. Can two people, can a group, can a family come together to achieve something without an agreement? It means you know for there to be an agreement. It means you know for there to be an agreement. It means there's a discussion, people's opinion are taken into consideration. It is not one person said it and we all just flow with it without discussing it. It's not as if we are disagreeing per se, but for us to go in that direction, we need to hear our opinion. So what is the Abilene Paradox? The Abilene Paradox describes a group dynamic where the collective agrees on a path of action that none of the individual members want to do. Did you hear that? Let me take it again the Abilene Paradox describes a group of dynamic where the collective agrees on a path a path of action, yes that none of the individual members want to do, as in more or less where, where, where, we're lying to ourselves.
Speaker 1:
Now I'm going to read. I'm going to read, uh, what I call it? Uh, yep, a work explaining, throwing more light on the abelene paradox, where it all started from. So, listen, I'm going to do some reading. Then we're going. You know the way we do it on the show, yadda, yadda, yadda. We say one or two things here and there. Have you ever found yourself in a brainstorming session at work where everyone ends up agreeing on a less than ideal course of action? Now let me tell you what I'm reading the Abilene Paradox.
Speaker 1:
When not rocking the boat may sink the boat. Did you hear that? You know, for boats to like move, you need to rock, roll, roll, roll your boat gently down the streams, merrily, merrily, merrily life. You rock the boat, you rock the boat, but what? What happens when you don't rock the boat. All right, I keep reading.
Speaker 1:
The Abilene Paradox describes this unfortunately common situation where a group of people agree to an idea, despite most of them not fully believing what it is, as in the best you know, believing that it is the best decision. Although it may seem surprising that several people might pursue something that few of them truly have faith in, the phenomenon has a simple explanation it's mainly caused by a tear, or rather a fear of challenging the status quo. Yep. Learning to identify and manage the Abilene paradox is essential to avoid costly group decisions. All right.
Speaker 1:
The Abilene paradox was first described by Jeremy Harvey in his 1974 article the Abilene Paradox the Management of Agreement. Harvey, a professor of management science at the George Washington University, that's, dc, was spending time with his in during the heat wave in Texas when his father-in-law suggested going for a dinner in Abilene, 53 miles away actually, it's a city, I mean a place. Abilene is actually a place in Texas, you know. Harvey went along with the plan and, as his wife and mother-in-law also both agreed to making the trip, later, all four turned four returned home hurt and irritated, with Harvey's mother-in-law admitting that she always thought Abilene was a terrible idea and would rather have stayed at home. Harvey and his wife then declared that they had not wanted to go either, but had agreed to avoid rocking the boat when everyone else had seemed, you know, keen. Even Harvey's father-in-law said he had not really wanted to go. You know, wanted to travel in that on-itioned car. He explained that he had only suggested the trip as he was worried his guests were getting bored.
Speaker 1:
Harvey went on to coin this occurrence, the Abilene Paradox, in which there is a failure to effectively manage agreement. At the time, most managerial advice was focused on how to, you know better, manage conflict. Instead, harvey argued that in modern organizations, learning how to deal with agreement was more pressing than the management of conflict. Did you hear that the Abilene Paradox can have terrible consequences? The 1986 NASA shuttle tragedy in which all seven crew members lost their lives In such an example. After several delays and much cancellations, managers were desperate to launch the shuttle. As a result, the group collectively disagreed Warnings from engineers about the risk associated with the launch in cold weather, weather with millions of viewers watching live on TV. The shuttle broke apart within 73 seconds of lunch.
Speaker 1:
The Abilene paradox is commonly confused with groupthink, but the two have different characteristics. All right, let me stop there. I mean, somehow, every day of our lives, every day of our lives, we go through this process of management of agreement. A lot of us, you know, decisions are made, even like to run a home. Decisions are made To run an organization. Decisions are made To run the country. Decisions are made to run an organization. Decisions are made to run the country decisions are made. So for decisions to be made, we need to come to that agreement and for agreement to be made, we need to hear ourselves. It sounds easy, but it is the most difficult thing and I've looked at so many organizations, you know tough, I mean those 100 years they've been in the business 30, 40, 60, 200, 500, you know, like a family business that have grown to be like a global brand.
Speaker 1:
And I ask myself what has kept these businesses these names, what has kept them their understanding of management of agreement? You know the way the world works. I'm not speaking as if I am, what I call it, a specialist, but from observation. There's night, there's day, the sun and the moon rule according to an order. So that order defines or describes the agreement between the sun and the moon. Yes, they have their place, they express themselves in a way. So imagine if the sun takes over and starts to come up at when the moon should and the moon takes over from when. There will be confusion, there will be catastrophe, there will be a cataclysmic occurrence, yes, but these two entities, they obey a law. In obeying, they agree. There's this understanding. It's like they speak to themselves.
Speaker 1:
And this is what I see about organizations that thrive, and this is what I see about organizations that thrive. Even in the confusion, even in the disruption, they come to have this sense of agreement where everybody, everybody's voice is necessary, everybody's voice is heard, everybody's opinion is considered. Now, this is not saying that, in the bid to hear everybody and come to this understanding or agreement, you listen to stupidity or foolishness, no, but you allow people express themselves. You allow people not really air their opinion. They tell you this is what I'm thinking about, this thing, and you put it together. You consider, because every breakthrough, every new should I say frontier new whatever in any area, in any area, was as a result of an individual airing his or her views and was considered and was listened to. Initially it might appear like nonsense, but because we want to make progress, we listen.
Speaker 1:
The management of agreements. So many organizations are having that problem today, where the top down is what takes place. Yes, when the CEO sees something, that's fine, I'll know, you know. Ah, the CEO has said all that. But if you come to look at the tree, you know, when you look at the tree back again to my elementary biology chemistry class when you look at how the tree or vegetation functions, you know, you look at you've heard a word before photosynthesis, the process by which green plants manufacture their food in the presence of water, sunlight and CO2. Yes, we know that. But when you go into the nitty-gritty of that process, you come to see that the root, you know the root of the plant that we don't always see, plays a lot, has a lot to do in the functioning of vegetations. Yes, the green we see as a result of the chlorophyll that traps the sunlight, you know, with the help of the chelating agent, magnesium and what have you and all that. You know you see the green and all that. But when you go underneath the tree or the plant, you come to see that the roots are doing so much and they are playing so much role that it is not seen. But there is this agreement between the, the stem, the leaves and the roots. They have this understanding, they have this agreement. They discuss. There's a point of discussion and it is like at that point there is a distribution of function and everyone knows where his freedom starts and his freedom ends, if I must put it that way.
Speaker 1:
You know so many organizations have that problem. Yes, they feel the minute you occupy a managerial role, you have all the answers. That's not true. Role, you have all the answers, then. That's not true. They feel when someone is promoted, elevated to a higher position of authority, he or she has all it takes. But so many times it's not true.
Speaker 1:
The strength of a general is seen in his troop. Yeah, the strength of a general is seen in his troop. Yeah, the strength of any country, any organization, any family, any collectivity or collection, if I must use that word. It is how they come together to agree in achieving. So everybody is involved in it, everybody has a portion.
Speaker 1:
So we talk why do you think we shouldn't do this, or why do you think we should do this, or why do you think we should not? And the person you know maybe gives you an idea. So we are all invested or we all have vested interests, so to say, in this thing. I have an interest to life, everybody who works on the surface of the earth has an interest to life. Everybody who walks on the surface of the earth has an interest to life. But we must sit down and agree. Can two people walk together without an agreement, without having an understanding, without seeing, because you think you've seen it all? Your perspective is everything, but the other man also sees a different perspective. So when we all bring the different perspective into one, we create a wholesome perspective that speaks to our very being, our success.
Speaker 1:
Yes, the Abilene paradox, I mean it applies in everywhere, be it in homes, organizations, businesses in countries, organizations, businesses in countries. You know, there was a story I read about, I think, that Stalin, or so, yep, when they were afraid to tell him that Netherlands and Holland were the same thing, he thought from history that these are two different, that he, the people, were afraid, as in people around him, maybe because of the personality he has come to build, because of the personality he has come to build. So you see, sometimes our leaders display ignorance and they call it knowledge. They share stupidity, yep, share stupidity. They sheer stupidity. They don't want to listen. They don't want to hear.
Speaker 1:
Yes, sometimes making decisions like you say, ah, it will be time consuming, it will be time wasting for us to wait for everybody to bring their opinion and all that, and it will slow the process and, before you know it, we've lost so much time and we've lost money. But come to think of it, the story I just read about the space shuttle NASA that exploded and killed all seven astronauts If they had listened, yes, we've wasted money, but see, what we are doing now would end up in a disaster. Yes, guys, we're here today because of decisions we have made, every organization, every individual, every family. Do you think, from hindsight, if you're taking time to look at if I take this decision differently, or if I've taken it differently, would I and all that? At least the future is just ahead of us. We're going to make more decisions. We're going to take more decisions. We're going to make more decisions. We're going to take more decisions. But I think we need to look at it from that perspective of the Abilene paradox. All right, guys, I thought to come on just to share this with you that decision you want to take as a father, as a mother, as a family husband, wife in that union. That decision you want to make in that organization as a CEO, as the departmental head, that decision you want to take as a leader of that organization, have you considered listening to the voices within? It may not be everybody, but at least you give the opportunity and when they air their opinion, you don't shut it down, you don't call it nonsense. It doesn't hold, you don't you put it down. You analyze it, you consider it Before I go.
Speaker 1:
I'm going to end with this story. I always talk about it. I come upon subjects like this, the story of what's that His name? Again, what's that his name? Again, I keep forgetting his name. There is a Brazilian organization. Why am I forgetting that his name? Oh, why, why, why, why, why, why, why he took over the organization from his father. I know a lot of you must have come upon that story. Why am I forgetting that his name? Give me a minute, I am going to get it, because if I don't get it it will, the story will not make sense to you. The Brazilian family business. Yes, he's a known name Ricardo Ricardo. Yes, that's the name you know. You talk about Ricardo Semler, if you've heard the name. Yes, ricardo Semler, ricardo, mm-hmm, give me a minute, guys, you yep. This is how we do it on the show. Sometimes we just run and get that story. Yes, ricardo Semler, now the story, I mean the story has it that I read about it. You know, even management classes, some courses we do, they bring it up for us to look at it.
Speaker 1:
His father handed over to him, you know, the company, the organization was a family business and they had a lot of families who were gainfully employed through the company and it was a big business. But there came a time in the history of the company, you know, when things were really rough and the first thing his managers or top management, whatever team, told him was to let the people go, as in blah, blah, blah, you know, to reduce it. And he said, no, these guys, they've been working here, we've been all together. So he called for a meeting, company-wide meeting from top to bottom, called for a meeting, company wide meeting From top to bottom. Yes, every single individual, tom, dick and Harry, as we say it. And he opened up everything to them To let them know that this is what the company is going through, this is what the organization is going through, and this is I mean. We need to make certain decisions. If we don't make this decision, this is what is going to happen, but I don't want to let you people go. So he threw or flew the kite, as we'll call it, for a pay cut and that when things improve, the pay cut will be reinstated. And he needed to hear from different opinions and simply put his team. Everybody saw what was about to happen and they jumped in. They agreed and you know what? He kept his promise. When things improved, he reinstated.
Speaker 1:
Now imagine, as a CEO, you make a decision. Yes, today we hear a lot of. You know what we call them stakeholders, engagement, investors. We need to protect investors' interests, we need to improve and all that. But first of all, the investor is a human being like every other person. Now imagine if you put everybody on the table and you ask that question and you begin to hear opinions come in, different opinions. Some might sound outlandish, superfluous, out of this world, some might sound like a child's plea, but imagine collating all of this, for in the multitude of cancer, there is safety. All right, guys, I need to go now.
Speaker 1:
Whatever you do this season, wherever you are this season, remember there's always an agreement.
Speaker 1:
We need to agree for things to happen. We need to have an understanding. We need to come together. We need to hear ourselves to move forward. I got to go now. You know how we say it on the show. This is where we come to lean on one another's experience to forge a positive path. Till I come your way again. Super excited. Bye for now. Awesome time it has been with you on the World Cafe Podcast today. Thank you for being there. You can catch me up on my social media handles Twitter, facebook, linkedin and Instagram All at Amakri Isoboye. Also, you can get copies of my books A Cocktail of Words, the Color of Words by H Aaron Notebook and Hocus Pocus on God on Amazon and Roving Heights online bookstores. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel at the same address. I love to hear from you and how this podcast has impacted you. You can leave me a message at my email address that is A-M-A-C-H-R-E-E-E-G-A-R-I-B-A-L-D-I. Yes, till I come your way again. Bye for now.
