How To Escape Drama Inside Your Dev Team
Hey 👋 - Ilya here.
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Today's issue takes about 2 minutes to read.
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In this issue, we'll talk about behavior patterns that form with time and can hinder the atmosphere and productivity of the team.
There is a social model of human interaction proposed by Stephen B. Karpman, the Drama Triangle.
It describes different types of destructive interactions in a team. The danger of such behaviors is that even one person taking on one of the roles can bring others to play along, reinforcing the dysfunction.
There are three main roles in the Drama Triangle.
- Persecutor
- Rescuer
- Victim
1. Persecutor
The persecutor believes to be surrounded by idiots. This person is critical, angry, and feels and acts superior to others.
The main line of thought:
- "The specs are incomplete"
- "Product doesn't know what they are doing"
- "The management sucks"
2. Rescuer
The rescuer wants to fix every situation and fill all the holes.
The main line of thought:
- "Let me help you"
- "No problem, I'll fix it"
3: Victim
Is always helpless. There is no point in trying
The main line of thought:
- "It's not my fault"
- "It will never work"
How To Reverse The Roles
There is hope. With some work and intention, you can reverse each role and put the driving force behind each one into a constructive one.
1. Persecutor becomes Challenger
The challenger helps others develop and get better by constructively challenging them.
2. Rescuer becomes Coach
The coach uses her caring side, listens, and helps others grow.
3. Victim becomes Creator
The creator shows vulnerability and takes responsibility for his actions, becoming part of the solution.
Do it now
- Where is drama in your team right now?
- What role are you playing in the latest project?
- What is one thing you can do right now to flip that role?
Go do it now!
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Cheers,
Ilya