Happy New Year!
I trust this ezine finds you emerging from a wonderful holiday season and excited to embark on a new year brimming with positive possibility.
At the same time, I know that many of us experienced at least some stress during the holiday season and have come back to work to face “opportunities” that may look more like overwhelming challenges.
In the spirit of “something old, something new,” insights from The Drama Triangle and its alternative, The Empowerment Dynamic, can be very enlightening as we reflect on lessons learned from the past and commit to new ways of being.
© David Emerald TED 2019
Back in the 1960’s Stephen Karpman devised The Drama Triangle to depict the common but dysfunctional roles we can all fall into in our relationships at home and at work. Early this century David Emerald created The Empowerment Dynamic as a way to transform these mindless and destructive characters, stuck in past-based vicious cycles of misery, into intentional and constructive protagonists, capable of partnering together toward a brighter future:
- People who feel like Victims, powerless in the face of forces beyond their control, transform into Creators, masters of their own fates.
- People who are exhausted from endlessly Rescuing others, transform into Coaches, helping others help themselves.
- People who seem like Persecutors, appearing to bully or blame others, transform into Challengers, asking hard questions that forge proactive progress.
To learn more, check out this excellent video created by The Conscious Leadership Group, which does a wonderful job explicating these dynamics in a clear, relatable, and actionable manner. I also suggest visiting their website, and explore their many powerful resources, which you can share with your team!
The Change Intelligence/CQ Triangle helps people, teams, and organizations flip from drama to empowerment. When we facilitate honest, transparent conversations focusing on “what” changes are occurring and “why” they are needed (enlightening the Head), on “how” best to make them happen (equipping the Hands), and on “who” to involve (engaging the Heart), we foster an environment of curiosity and commitment, and banish blame and disengagement.
To put these ideas into practice for the New Year, here are some specific steps you can take to become an even more Change Intelligent leader, and learn about how to help your team and organization build CQ – and drop the drama – right away:
- Register for a free webinar on Change Intelligence, in which you’ll learn how to diagnose and develop your CQ and walk away with actionable strategies you can apply immediately on-the-job. Even if you can’t attend live on January 10, you’ll receive a link to view the recording at your convenience.
- Join me for the CQ Certification Program, designed to accelerate your ability to lead successful and sustainable change – and to provide you the coaching and resources to enhance the Change Leadership capabilities in the people you coach, teams you facilitate, and organizations you serve. We begin on January 18!
- Attend any of the events I’m speaking at (listed in the left margin!) – I’d love to meet you, learn about your change challenges, and share ideas about how to keep the triangle flipped toward conscious empowerment for ourselves and our organizations.
In closing, I’m honored that you are reading this ezine and thrilled to be connected with you. Please contact me at any time at btrautlein@changecatalysts.com or 01.847.571.4387 if I can be of any assistance in building change leadership capabilities for the New Year, and beyond.