by Lauch Henry, PhD
Some time ago I was one of a group of Avatar Masters making a decision about a promotional package we planned to develop. When we were done, I felt certain that we had all said what we truly felt, addressed or eliminated our concerns, and would be aligned with and committed to what we had decided. Recently I was reflecting on some of the group decisions in which I had participated during my many years working for various organizations. These were decisions after which it was not unusual to run into people who had participated and have them say, “I really wasn’t for that, but I thought every one else wanted to do it, so I went along.” Unfortunately, I had done the same thing in many of those instances. So many of our decisions are trips to Abilene.
What is a trip to Abilene? Some time ago I saw a management video called, “The Abilene Paradox.” The video was narrated by Professor Jerry Harvey of George Washington University and based on an incident that occurred when he and his wife had visited his in-laws in Coleman, Texas, one summer. One day while they were there, all four of them were enjoying a game of dominoes and cold lemonade on the shady porch of their house when someone suggested, “Let’s go to Abilene and have lunch in the cafeteria.” As a result, they had taken a fifty-three mile trip from Coleman to Abilene, with the temperature a scorching 104 degrees, in a Buick without air conditioning, had a lunch of terrible food in a cafeteria, then returned another fifty-three miles to Coleman covered with sweat and dirt, only to find out that not one of them had really wanted to go in the first place.
They demonstrated a phenomenon observed frequently in organizations, families, couples, traveling companions and other groups that make decisions. They had demonstrated that groups often agree to and take actions contrary to the wishes of each and every one of their members. Groups that do this are making trips to Abilene.
Nobody in that family really wanted to go to Abilene. But not one of them said so. Each one kept quiet and assumed that all the others wanted to go. So they all went and afterwards tried to blame each other for the disaster.
Professor Harvey makes the point that although business theorists typically believe that the inability to manage conflict is one of the greatest challenges facing organizations, the inability to manage hidden disagreement may be the major source of organization dysfunction. As a result of such decision making, organizations and groups of all sizes frequently embark on ventures without the full support and commitment of even those who decided that these ventures should be undertaken.
Agreement, alignment and commitment by the participants are essential to the successful implementation of any group decision.
As Star’s Edge (the company that manages the expansion of Avatar) is clearly demonstrating, an organization of Avatars can accomplish incredible things. An organization of Avatars is equipped to directly address problems with group decisions, as well as many other business situations. Avatars know how to prepare so as to be “totally present” and focused for what they are about to do. When decisions are made, goals, objectives and strategies are clearly planned. Consequences are foreseen, permitting adjustments to the decision without anyone feeling wrong. When someone is not aligned, the source of the disagreement can be identified. “True consensus” can be reached much faster when no particular viewpoint is being owned or protected.
I have found that Avatars are more easily able to:
• Confront and eliminate barriers and limitations
• Identify, pursue and successfully achieve goals
• Work cooperatively with colleagues and customers
• Tolerate differences and draw on individual strengths
• Be creative and innovative
• Be at ease in potentially stressful situations
• Focus on key issues rather than trivial concerns
• Realize and use their vast personal power
It is hard for me to imagine what some groups I have been involved with could have really accomplished if they had been Avatars.
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