A few years ago, a friend of ours was given the task of diagnosing and fixing defects in the first version of a huge-brand consumer electronics product. The product’s initial launch had been an embarrassment. Worse, since it was first sold at Christmas and the defects didn’t become apparent for several months, there was very little time to get things fixed for the next holiday selling season.
I found a new way to help teams reach significant breakthroughs in a recent session, and it relates to my essay on “Fear Junction”. This was a story I told in one of my newsletters about the electrician who told the fable – not of a real electrical switch box – but of a real and personal daily decision point – where we must choose to be open, candid and honest – or miss the chance to do so.
The Abilene Paradox is a paradox in which a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that is counter to the preferences of any of the individuals in the group. The Abilene paradox was introduced by management expert Jerry B. Harvey in his article The Abilene Paradox: The Management of Agreement. The name of the phenomenon comes from an anecdote in the article which Harvey uses to elucidate the paradox.
Every year during annual planning, we urge our clients to take a hard look at their core values and make sure they are standing the test of time; to confirm they are still the foundation the leadership team wants to build the company upon; and to make sure they are keeping them alive by hiring, firing, reviewing, rewarding, and recognizing everyone around them.
When leadership teams are addressing issues within the organization, business coaches or EOS Implementers™ often find that most of the time is spent discussing the issues and not enough time is spent working towards viable solutions. It can be tough for teams to solve issues when they are trying to overcome fear of conflict, lack of focus, lack of discipline, lack of commitment and personal ego. The Issues Solving Track overcomes these obstacle and helps leadership teams and departments get to the solution quickly.
In an open and honest organization, the Issues List is a tool that creates the discipline needed to keep all business issues out in the open and organized. As business coaches or EOS Implementers™ teach, having this level of honesty in an organization means that everyone, from leadership teams and others in the organization, has a clear understanding of what your issues are.
