DESCRIPTION
The “Drama Triangle” Upside-Down (or the Empowerment Dynamic) is a method for recognizing dysfunctional relational dynamics (victim, persecutor and rescuer roles) and intentionally flipping or reframing them into more constructive, empowering roles (creator, challenger and coach). In storytelling or leadership contexts, we can re-frame or use it tosurface how narratives of blame, helplessness, over-helping undermine agency and escalate conflict and then provides a framework to retell or reshape those stories toward responsibility, growth, and positive action. So, turning it upside down… Instead of stressing what’s going wrong (like the classical drama triangle does), it offers a concrete, psychologically grounded alternative that people can adopt to shift narratives, behavior, culture. It helps restore autonomy, reduce drama, increase trust, and enable more sustainable collaboration. It’s especially useful in leadership, conflict resolution, change communications, organizational culture, coaching, internal storytelling where people feel stuck, blamed, or even powerless.
ORIGIN
The original was proposed by the psychiatrist Stephen B. Karpman in 1968. The “Upside-Down” or flipped version is most often associated with David Emerald (with Donna Zajonc), under the name “The Empowerment Dynamic” (TED).
USED BY
It’s used in training and workshops about psychological safety, conflict resolution, personal empowerment and therefor pretty strongly attached to any organizational development and change management to shift culture and improve communication.
Approximately needed time
- Step 1: 1 hours
- Step 2: 1 hours
- Step 3: 1 hours
- Step 4: 1 hours
- Step 5: 1 hours
- TOTAL: 5 hours
METHOD
MATERIAL YOU COULD NEED: Everything which used for cretive workshops, but most importantly a safe and trust environment for participants to share honestly.
STAKEHOLDER GOOD TO KNOW: People involved in the change reasons and possibly HR and learning & development units if this is institutionalized.
STEPS
INTRODUCE TRIANGLE, ROLES AND CONTEXT
People need to become aware of the dysfunction: the roles they or others are unconsciously playing in stories or conflicts. Naming them creates awareness, which is the first step toward change.
Teach the original Drama Triangle: how Victim, Persecutor, Rescuer interact, how people switch roles, typical patterns…
Ask participants to think of a recent conflict or problematic story in their team or organizational environment. Map who played which roles (which person was Victim, who was Persecutor etc.). Use sticky notes or diagram. NAME them to make the story 100% transparent. Encourage specificity: what words, actions, attitudes indicated each role.
Example: A team launch is delayed. The project lead becomes Persecutor blaming the vendor, but vendor feels Victim and an internal support person jumps in as Rescuer taking over tasks.
EFFECTS AND COSTS
Understanding the negative effects (on relationships, morale, outcomes, team dynamics, etc.) helps motivate participants to want to shift. It also clarifies what needs to change and what is at stake.
Discuss what happened in that story: what result came (positive/negative)? Where did the drama cost time, trust, results? Identify emotional costs (stress, blame, loss of ownership, burnout), psychological costs (loss of believe or trust) etc.
Possibly map switching of roles: when did the Rescuer become a Victim, etc. Showing fluidity helps people see dynamic.
Example: In the launch delay story: morale dropped, vendor disengaged; internal support felt unappreciated; project lead lost trust; re-work was needed, leading to more delays.
FLIP DYNAMICS
Awareness alone isn’t enough. People need a constructive alternative. The Empowerment Dynamic gives new labels and behaviors (Creator, Challenger, Coach) to replace Victim, Persecutor, Rescuer. This reframing allows new stories with more agency, accountability, and growth.
Teach the Empowerment Dynamic: what each flipped role means (Creator instead of Victim; Challenger instead of Persecutor; Coach instead of Rescuer). Discuss the differences in mindset and behavior: e.g. the Creator takes responsibility and looks for solutions. The Challenger gives feedback, challenges status quo. The Coach supports others in developing their own solutions rather than doing for them. Provide examples of how stories and narratives change when told through the flipped roles.
Example: From earlier: instead of “Vendor did nothing, we had to rescue”, flipped version: “Team (Creator) acknowledges delay, works to replan. Manager (Challenger) brings up quality concerns but invites collaboration. Coach helps vendor identify improvement steps.”
RE-MAP THE STORY
Reconstructing narratives helps people internalize the change: seeing their own stories re-told with flipped roles enables new identities, new behavior, new possibilities. In storytelling, branding or leadership narratives, retelling with empowerment emphasizes growth, solution, future possibilities rather than blame.
Take the earlier story or conflict mapped in Step 1 above. Re-write or retell it highlighting the flipped roles. Use the Creator, Challenger and Coach labels.
Focus on where people could have acted differently, what choices were available. Identify what Creator, Challenger and Coach behaviors might produce a better outcome. Encourage participants to tell and practice telling the new version (verbally or in writing) to others for feedback.
Example: For launch delay, new re-told narrative: “We faced vendor delays (Creator), we raised the issue pointing out expectations (Challenger), support team helped vendor find process improvements (Coach). Despite setbacks, we recovered timeline and strengthened vendor relationship.”
AND ACTION
To sustain change, people need to commit to new behaviors, have strategies for when old roles creep back. Without planning, the default drama roles often reappear. Also, storytelling of built-in empowerment needs reinforcement.
Identify concrete actions participants will take when they notice drama roles (self or in others). E.g. “When I hear blame, I’ll ask what can be done (Challenger behavior)”, or “I’ll ask ‘What choice do I have?’ (Creator stance).”. Plan coaching or peer feedback loops and set triggers or check-ins (meetings or daylies) to reflect on whether narratives are shifting or not. Possibly rewrite mission, values and internal stories to embed the right language and align organizational narratives (e.g. annual reports, internal messaging) with flipped roles.
Example: Make a shared team agreement: no blaming language encouraging coaching feedback or outcomes. During retrospectives, have one moment where people identify when someone acted as Creator, Coach or Challenger.
Additional stuff
Being in the Drama Triangle is almost universal in some conflict or stress situations. Switching roles happens often unconsciously and awareness is key.
Tools and practices that help: emotional awareness, taking responsibility, changing language (blame to curiosity), reflective practices, coaching.
TED (Empowerment Dynamic) is the formal model giving positive alternative roles.
It can be challenging because people may resist giving up familiar roles (even if dysfunctional), because roles like Rescuer or Victim often come with identity or psychological payoffs. Change takes practice.
For storytelling: narratives that show transformation (showing Drama Triangle to Empowerment Dynamic) are powerful as audiences resonate with “I learned this, I shifted roles, I changed outcomes”.
ANECDOTES:
A manager once told a story: during a product crisis, they noticed themselves acting as Rescuer: stepping in constantly to fix problems for team. When things went wrong, they blamed others (Persecutor). Switching to Creator-Challenger-Coach mindset (empowering team to solve, challenging but in supportive ways, coaching) improved morale and ownership.
In a team workshop, an exercise mapping their recent conflicts, people were surprised how often they switched roles. Telling the conflict story in flipped roles helped them see possibilities they’d otherwise dismissed, e.g. “I could have been Coach instead of Rescuer.”
