Abilene Paradox
A management term where people make decisions based not on what they actually want to do, but on what they think that other people want to do, resulting in a decision that in fact satisfies no one.
EverydayConcepts.io
Origin
Management professor Jerry B. Harvey of George Washington University introduced the concept in his 1974 article "The Abilene Paradox: The Management of Agreement." Harvey drew on a personal anecdote: while visiting family in Coleman, Texas, during a heatwave, his father-in-law suggested driving 53 miles to Abilene for dinner — a trip nobody actually wanted but everyone agreed to, each assuming the others were enthusiastic.
Updated February 22, 2026