Road to Abilene

A few years back, an educational video called The Abilene Paradox was all the rage at work. I know I saw it at least three times, enough to produce an involuntary groan the third time — and I wasn't the only one. The story involves two adult couples — husband, wife and her parents — who, on a hot, dry, Midwestern summer afternoon decide to load up into an unairconditioned car and drive a couple of hours roundtrip to have dinner in Abilene. When they get back, all grumpy and upset at each other, they finally realize that no one wanted to go (not even the person who suggested it), but they all agreed to the plan, so as not to appear to be rocking the boat. The video is supposed to illustrate the dangers of "groupthink," where everyone supports a plan because they think everyone else likes it, but in reality, no one likes it at all&hellp; and quite possibly, no one had a better idea. So the undesirable option becomes the one everyone follows, for lack of a better idea, or for lack of someone bold enough to provide the dissenting voice.

As much as the video annoys me, it keeps popping into my head this week, for some reason.