Have you been to Abilene Town?
Many of us at some point may have visited ‘Abilene town’ but we may not have recognized the name of the town. The name ‘Abilene town’ metaphorically refers to a town where we do not want to go but we may end up going anyways. We end up going to Abilene town when we don’t raise objections in the fear that we may end up displeasing others.
So, the next time you feel that you may end up going to ‘Abilene town’ , you may want to remember the following rules
Leverage Ground rules. Create clear ground rules. If the ground rules are clear, then the chances that people will follow the ground rules are higher. The ground rules can highlight what is expected and what is acceptable.
Speak without fear. Create an environment that allows people to speak without fear.
Create a plan and stick with it. An Agenda can help narrow the focus of discussion and minimize people taking off on tangents.
Reinforce direction by asking “Are we going to Abilene town? ” The direction where the group is headed can be verified and reinforced by asking the million dollar question, “Are we going to Abilene town” ? . Why waste people’s time when we don’t have to ?
Incorrect assumptions about consensus. People may have an incorrect assumption about having consensus. A good practice may be to ask the group question if everyone agrees.
Publish notes after the rendezvous Once the decision is made during the discussion, a good practice is to publish what the group agreed upon.
I am sure that adopting the above techniques will help you determine if you really want to go to Abilene town.
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