The Abilene Paradox is a fable written by J. B. Harvey. In a hot afternoon in Texas, a family decides what to do for supper. One family member suggests traveling to a neighbor town.
Even though no one in the family actually wants to go to Abilene, they all decide to go anyway. They spend a miserable afternoon together eating at a place they all hated and doing what they did NOT want to do.
According to J. B. Harvey, The Abilene Paradox occurs when:
Groups take action that contradicts what all or most of the group members really want to do.
- Group members have serious concerns about a certain decision, policy, system, etc, and fail to speak up.
"Conflict is an essential resource in getting to the real, as opposed to superficial, harmony" (Heifetz et. al., p. 151)".
