Understanding and Eliminating Drama in Your Organization
Drama in the workplace is never productive—and often, it’s destructive. It’s one of those things that’s easy to overlook at first but can slowly undermine your culture, lower morale, and hinder performance. In our leadership sessions, we work with clients to help them identify drama early and eliminate it before it escalates.
To effectively address drama, we need to understand two core concepts: Transactional Analysis and Karpman’s Drama Triangle. These frameworks will help you recognize how drama plays out and, more importantly, how you can prevent it from taking hold in your organization.
Understanding Transactional Analysis
Transactional Analysis (TA) is a theory created by Dr. Eric Berne that explains how people communicate and why certain conversations get emotional or tense. Dr. Berne described three “people” who live inside our heads—each one influencing how we interact with others.
The Parent: This voice is influenced by the nurturing and critical messages we received from caregivers between the ages of zero to five. The Parent is divided into the nurturing parent, who is supportive, and the critical parent, who tends to criticize and judge.
The Child: From six to fifteen years old, we develop our internal Child, which shows up in four different forms: the natural child (spontaneous and playful), the rebellious child (defiant), the adaptive child (compliant), and the little professor (curious and learning).
The Adult: The Adult is the logical, neutral part of us that processes information without emotion. It helps us respond calmly, think critically, and make data-driven decisions.
The key to handling drama is shifting from the emotional Parent and Child voices to the rational, calm Adult voice. When we operate from the Adult, we’re more likely to address issues logically and productively, instead of getting caught up in emotion.
The Drama Triangle
The next step in understanding workplace drama is Karpman’s Drama Triangle. This concept, developed by Stephen Karpman, outlines three roles people often adopt during dramatic situations:
The Persecutor: The Persecutor is critical, blaming, and accusatory. They ask things like, "Why did you do that? What were you thinking?" or "You’re messing everything up!"
The Victim: The Victim feels powerless and often says things like, "Why is this happening to me? I’m just trying to do my best."
The Rescuer: The Rescuer jumps in, trying to fix things, often without being asked. They’ll say, "Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it" or "I’m here to help!"
These roles are not fixed—people can switch roles during a single conversation or interaction. One person might be the Persecutor one moment, the Victim the next, and then the Rescuer a few minutes later. Once you’re in the Drama Triangle, it can be hard to get out. The emotions are high, and logic is low.
How to Break Free from the Drama Triangle
The good news is that you can break free from the Drama Triangle. The first step is to recognize when you’re in it. Whether it’s a conversation with a colleague, a team conflict, or a tense meeting, if you find yourself or others falling into these roles, it’s time to step back.
Once you identify the Drama Triangle, shift to the Adult. The Adult voice is rational, calm, and focused on understanding. Here’s how to do it:
Acknowledge the Drama: Recognize that you’re caught in a drama cycle. Whether you’re the Persecutor, Victim, or Rescuer, identify the role you’re playing.
Shift to the Adult: Move away from emotional reactions. The Adult asks, "What are the facts here? What are the actual issues we need to solve?" This helps remove emotion and allows you to address the situation logically.
Seek to Understand: Instead of defending yourself or jumping to conclusions, take the time to understand the other person’s perspective. Ask questions like, "What do you need from me to resolve this?" or "What’s the best way we can move forward?"
Set Clear Next Steps: Once the emotions are out of the way, it’s time to create a solution. Agree on next steps that are fair, clear, and actionable for all parties involved.
In the end, drama in the workplace is inevitable—but it doesn’t have to be controlling. By understanding these frameworks and applying them in your leadership, you can create a more rational, logical, and productive environment. This will not only help you lead better but also foster a healthier, drama-free culture.
Want to learn more about how to handle drama in your organization and lead more effectively? Click here to book a time that works for you: Book a Complimentary Consultation with Jim Wilcox.
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