Shifting from Drama to Empowerment.
In part one of this two-part series we looked at Stephen Cartman's drama triangle.
As I described,
It provides a way for us to understand dysfunctional social interactions and illustrates a game of power or ego that involves three main roles.
Victim,
Rescuer and Persecutor.
Each role represents an ineffective response to conflict or disagreement and sadly no one wins in the drama triangle.
So what can we do to get out of this drama triangle and leave the dysfunctional model of behavior behind?
We can turn to the empowerment dynamic.
The empowerment dynamic was created by David Emerald as a way to shift out of the roles we get trapped in with the drama triangle.
All we need to do is focus on moving our attention from the drama filled roles to those that empower us.
In the drama triangle we have three roles.
Victim,
Persecutor and Rescuer.
With the empowerment dynamic these roles become Creator,
Challenger and Coach which are powerful alternatives.
These roles increase our ability to choose.
The empowerment dynamic is about learning how to shift from reacting to choosing our response to life events irrespective of our circumstances.
So how do we switch our responses from drama to empowerment?
With David Emerald's dynamic we shift from Victim to Creator.
Here we move from focusing on the problem to solving the problem.
As a creator we focus on the vision and desired outcome.
You take full responsibility for initiating action.
Your mantra as a creator becomes I have a choice despite my circumstances.
I am the creator of my own reality.
We shift from Persecutor into Challenger.
Here we stop blaming and move towards assertiveness.
As a challenger we spark learning by seeing beyond assumptions and the status quo.
We can focus on improvement and development by holding people accountable for taking action.
Your mantra as a challenger becomes I allow things to unfold at their own pace.
I trust the process.
I believe in others.
We shift from Rescuer into Coach.
Here we move away from fostering dependency and into encouraging responsibility.
As a coach we can empower people through inquiry to help them gain clarity.
Your mantra as a coach becomes I empower others to live up to their full potential.
I trust others and their abilities.
So there you have it.
With the empowerment dynamic we shift from victim to creator.
From Persecutor to Challenger.
From Rescuer to Coach.
Which role will you be integrating into your life?
