Karpman’s Drama Triangle - Part Three, The Persecutor

And finally the persecutor. In the drama triangle the persecutor is the one that is often feared by the victim and pacified by the rescuers.

The persecutor is the one that will attack and keep going until they get what they want - they keep the victim oppressed and will criticise the rescuer.

Without judgement this behaviour is likely coming from a place for fear and is a stress response - the fight response.

Karpman’s Drama Triangle - Part Two, The Victim

The victim is often looking for persecution or to be rescued and struggles to ask for what they need. Behaviour can often be seen as passive aggressive or ‘this always happens to me’

Karpman’s Drama Triangle - Part One, The Rescuer

First up I want to look at the Rescuer - not just because its something I resonate with (!) but its something I see business owners do all the time. Rescuing underperforming employees rather than upsetting them with a honest conversation.Feeling stressed, overwhelmed and under pressure as you want to 'save others' from feeling uncomfortable.

Taking the blame for mistakes that weren't yours as you don't want to upset others.Taking more and more on as you feel guilty for burdening others.

A brief introduction to Karpman’s Drama Triangle

People often want to control how others behave, yet this is impossible and highly stressful and damaging. A model I use all the time is something called the drama triangle. It’s shows the different roles we default to in situations with others.

When we're in a dysregulated nervous system state, it's nearly impossible to show up as our best selves in our life and work.

The procrastination and avoidance are often a self-protective mechanism.

By compassionately listening to the wisdom of the body, we can figure out the right level of intensity to stay within our window of tolerance and tune in to our nervous system; it’s here to help.

You know you are great at what you do, but sometimes you just feel frozen - stuck - and can’t move forwards.

That’s procrastination rearing its ugly head. Ready for a breakthrough?

As an experienced business coach, I've witnessed countless entrepreneurs seek out tactical advice to improve their performance and achieve their goals.

While strategic guidance and practical tips can certainly be valuable, I've come to realise that they often fail to address the deeper, underlying issues that hold many business owners back from reaching their full potential.

The truth is, life is inherently unpredictable. No matter how much we plan or how tightly we hold on, there will always be variables beyond our control. When we become fixated on controlling every detail, we not only create unnecessary stress for ourselves but also rob ourselves of the opportunity to grow and adapt.So, how can we work with these feelings of fear and the need for control?

In the coaching work I do now with founders and business owners, I see mental health struggles day in and day out. Lack of sleep, financial worries, pressure of payroll, employee issues, loneliness are some of the common themes I hear most days and can contribute to anxiety, depression and burnout if not managed.