Staff Columns

The Road to Abilene

In 1974, management expert Jerry Harvey, wrote an article titled, “The Abilene Paradox: The Management of Agreement.”

In the piece, Harvey shares a story about a man and his wife playing dominoes with the wife’s father and mother. It’s a very hot day in Coleman, Texas. As the four continue to play the game on the front porch, the mother-in-law asks about evening meal plans. The father-in-law responds that perhaps they should take the car (with no air conditioning) to Abilene for supper, which is an hour’s drive away.

Not wanting to disagree with the patriarch of the family, Mom, daughter and son-in-law all respond in agreement. They proceed to drive an hour to Abilene with the windows down on hot and dusty roads.

Then they suffer through a very disappointing meal at a local diner in Abilene. The family gets back in the car and takes that same hot, hourlong, return trip to Coleman.

Back at home, one of them sarcastically says, “It was a great trip, wasn’t it?” Mom responds that she would have rather stayed home but only agreed because it's

what she thought the rest of the group wanted. Dad shared he only suggested it because he thought the others were getting bored on the porch. Daughter and son-in-law said they only agreed because they didn’t want to disagree with Dad or Mom.

Long story short, nobody really wanted to go to Abilene, but they were afraid to disagree with the others in the group.

Social psychologists explain this type of behavior with theories of “social conformity” and “social influence.” Doing what the rest of the group wants to do just to get going becomes a higher priority than suggesting an alternative solution.

I was reminded of the Abilene Paradox during an Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) all-staff retreat earlier this fall. As a team, we worked through exercises and had discussions about this paradox.

We talked about how it could impact the quality of decisions being made in group settings. More importantly, how could we make sure we didn’t end up finding ourselves on “the road to Abilene?”

Lessons from the Abilene Paradox are also important for the

farmer directors of ISA as they begin a deep-dive into the current mix of projects and programs the association funds and supports using checkoff dollars and other non-checkoff resources.

The global soybean market has changed dramatically over the last year. It's important the ISA board understands these changes as they consider and write a new strategic plan for the organization.

Although I have rarely found an Iowa farmer unwilling to share his or her perspective on topics related to agriculture in one-on-one conversations, I have witnessed these same farmers being much less willing to do so when confronted by farmer friends who might have different perspectives.

Let’s be honest, most farmers don’t want to be disagreeable with other farmers. But I would also suggest the Abilene Paradox is not just a “farmer thing.” Going along to get along is a challenge in many group dynamics, and the net result can be a decision that leads the group to take a trip on “the road to Abilene.”

CEO Kirk Leeds

Naked and Hungry

That’s right. Without agriculture, we would walk this world naked and hungry. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, agriculture touches everyone.

I’ll go a step further and suggest that U.S. agriculture policy touches everyone. Farm policy is a fundamental building block for putting food on our tables and clothes on our backs, while helping countries achieve specific outcomes in the global marketplace. Agriculture policy is just as important to those who live on the farm as it is to those who call cities and suburbs home. Everyone who enjoys safe, affordable food and low-cost fuel and fiber benefits from sound public policy and a healthy agriculture industry.

While most associate farm policy with the Farm Bill that authorizes programs related to farming, food and nutrition and rural communities, some programs and regulations are governed by standalone legislation. These are just as important and wideranging as the Farm Bill.

Like any productive seedbed, farm policy must be carefully researched, cultivated and maintained. Consider for a moment how the weather shifts without warning. The political climate and headwinds act in the same way. The constant change underscores the need for careful consideration and a unified message, along with education and outreach. In the absence of any one step or practice, policy can have a crippling effect on the industry, and ultimately, a farmer’s bottom line and ability to operate.

Before November’s midterm elections, the political geography of the U.S. was forged in 2010 when Republicans emerged from the political wilderness and seized control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Earlier this year, Democrats disrupted the new normal and claimed the House majority by turning heavily populated areas blue. The election results, arguably more so than ever before, offered evidence of a widening urban-rural divide that will continue to shape

and influence policy across local, state and federal governing bodies. This split speaks to the importance of engaging lawmakers, particularly new members, early and often.

Over the last month, soybean farmers have come together to review the Iowa Soybean Association’s governing policies and set legislative priorities for the upcoming year. Watching the policy development unfold for the first time deepened my respect for the process. I walked away from every diner and coffee shop in awe of the passion at which folks greeted the tedious, yet critically important process – a process that can help bridge the urban-rural divide and ensure we never go naked and hungry.

The holiday season is a time when we break bread together as family, friends and neighbors, oftentimes with very different political views and opinions. This year, let's do so with patience, understanding and by telling agriculture’s bountiful story.

Michael Dolch, Director of Public Affairs

The Last Word: Learning From Natural Cycles

In nature, when a tree is dying, it releases all of its remaining nutrients into the soil through its roots. This deliverance strengthens the trees around it by providing new energy for them to thrive.

I like to think of this beautiful concept as the tree’s last gift, but it’s really just the cyclical rhythm of nature. Generation. Degeneration. Regeneration.

Although agriculture is abundantly alive, we should learn from this example as we start thinking about the new growing season.

As farmers, you are immersed in nature’s cycle every day. You have learned to work in harmony with forces you can’t control, hoping your efforts will nourish those around you. You embrace the process of planting, tending and harvesting. You look forward to doing it all again, year after year, even when it seems as if

the winds are blowing against you. As 2018 comes to a close, it’s a “natural” time to reflect on what has been and anticipate what will be. Let’s be honest, there have been a lot of interesting moments this year for soybean farmers. You’ve invested in new markets, battled pest and disease pressures, stressed about commodity prices and survived a challenging harvest. And those are just limited examples.

In this edition of the Iowa Soybean Review, we highlighted some images that illustrate the year that was. We hope the pictures spur some conversations in your home about key issues facing your farming operation. (To view additional images from this series, please visit www.iasoybeans.com.) It’s important to fully understand these issues as you make future economic decisions.

Also in this magazine, we incorporated tips from experts. These special notations within the stories offer advice on cost reductions and ways to enhance margins of profitability in the upcoming year. We wanted to help you maximize every opportunity to turn a profit.

Circling back to things that are cyclical in nature, we all know agricultural returns are not exempt from the pattern. You often have a few good years, followed by a few bad ones.

I want to wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season. Just like the trees in the forest, we are all connected by our roots. May we all put our best out into the world this year in hopes of strengthening those around us.

Until next year,

Ann Clinton, Iowa Soybean Review Editor