The Drama Triangle - How it Impacts the Org Culture

I happened to consult with a large manufacturing company in South India on improving their organizational culture.

The HR Head of the company was a participant in one of my talks on behavioral science and reached out to me after the session.

When I met the CEO, he felt that there were constant conflicts and emotional outbursts among the staff and wanted to understand the underlying reason.

This led to more employee churn and affected their employee Net Promoter Score (NPS).

I conducted a diagnostic study by initiating conversations with the CEO and a few employees in the organization to evaluate the reasons.

I quickly realized that there was a lot of psychological drama going on.

I won't delve into the problem specifics further since it is confidential.

However, I can share my experience in dealing with cultural challenges in an organization.

It boils down to The Drama Triangle.

What is The Drama Triangle?

It is a psychological model that illustrates dysfunctional interactions among individuals in conflict situations.

Developed by psychiatrist Stephen Karpman in the 1960s, it depicts how individuals unconsciously switch between three roles: The Victim, The Persecutor, and The Rescuer/Hero.

Let’s dive deep.

1. The Victim: This role is assumed by individuals who perceive themselves as powerless or oppressed in a situation. They often seek sympathy and support from others, portraying themselves as unjustly suffering.

In an organizational setting, the Victim role might be exemplified by an employee who constantly complains about their workload, feeling overwhelmed and unsupported.

The language of a victim: People may express sentiments such as, "I have too much work to handle, and nobody ever helps me. I'm always left to deal with everything on my own.”

?2. The Persecutor: This role is taken on by individuals who adopt an aggressive or controlling stance towards others. They blame, criticize, or attack, seeking power or dominance.

A Persecutor in the workplace could be a manager who micromanages their team, criticizes their work excessively, and assigns blame without considering the circumstances.

The authority figures in the organization usually take up this role.

It’s not just managers sometimes even an employee in the lower rung of the ladder can become a persecutor.

The language of a Persecutor: The person might say, "You're always making mistakes, and I have to constantly watch over you to ensure things get done properly."

3. The Rescuer/Hero: This role involves individuals who intervene to help or save others. They may offer unsolicited advice or assistance, often seeking validation or a sense of superiority.

An individual embodying the Rescuer/Hero role in the workplace might be a coworker who consistently jumps in to solve others' problems without being asked, often to the detriment of their own workload.

The language of a Persecutor: For instance, imagine a coworker who regularly interrupts their own tasks to assist others, saying, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it for you. You've got enough on your plate already."

The drama triangle can manifest in various aspects of relationships in the workplace and social circles, leading to repetitive patterns of conflict and dysfunction.

If you sense a conflict and emotional outbursts in an organization, it is highly likely that people are wearing any one of the three roles in the drama triangle.

Let me be honest here.

When I have managed people at work and reported to others, I took up the roles in the drama triangle. I have realized later on when I was honestly reviewing my emotional disturbances.

I've learned that even as a head of a function or manager, there are times when you might feel like a victim when dealing with people's varying behaviors.

Another thing I learned is that it's not uncommon for individuals to take on multiple roles within the drama triangle simultaneously.

I mean, you could feel like a victim and to escape from that role you could become a perpetrator or start rescuing someone.

Whatever it may be, you end up participating in the drama.

One way to close the drama is to make people aware of these three roles in the drama triangle.

The higher the self-awareness, the impact of drama can be reduced.

Because if there is a high level of drama in the organizational setup, the mental health of the people goes for a toss.

Not just that, the drama makes people think illogically and leads to the overall dysfunction of the organization.

There could be more employee churn, it could lead to lack of innovation, business goals are not met because people unconsciously become keen on the drama.

There is another way to resolve drama – it is to have clear boundaries. I will write about this in the coming days.