Drama Busting 101
Managing Your Way Out of Drama Dynamics
Research has found that talking about problems is a good thing, but too much talk is not. In fact recent published reports suggest that depression and anxiety in people (and in groups) occur when there is a constant rumination of problems taking place. Many participants in this study conceded that, “when we talk about a problem, we usually talk about it every day even if nothing has happened.”
When groups have more people focusing on what is not working within their teams, projects or the business, drama dynamics spiral unfavorably into a direction that causes a negative impact and reputation for the team as well as the manager. These dynamics disrupt project success.
The major hurdle with Drama Busting is people’s appetite and willingness to participate in drama-making conversations. People can find a false sense of power when sharing the “inside information” about a project or person. Managers’ expectations often go unexpressed when groups spin into complaint mode, which results in even lower productivity and morale, and in turn generates more drama-making dialogues.
The antidote is simple to understand yet challenging to practice everyday. The change begins with acknowledging the strengths of the team and individuals while focusing on what is working for projects. This means keeping the focus on these qualities and experiences rather than on “what is not working” for people. Simply put: promoting brilliance.
The daily practice for Drama Busting is to consider this:
- What worked well today?
- Who do I need to acknowledge?
- What project success did we make today?
- What positive contributions did I make?
- Am I willing to focus on the brilliance over the criticism?
Research has found that talking about problems is a good thing, but too much talk is not. In fact recent published reports suggest that depression and anxiety in people (and in groups) occur when there is a constant rumination of problems taking place. Many participants in this study conceded that, “when we talk about a problem, we usually talk about it every day even if nothing has happened.”
When groups have more people focusing on what is not working within their teams, projects or the business, drama dynamics spiral unfavorably into a direction that causes a negative impact and reputation for the team as well as the manager. These dynamics disrupt project success.
The major hurdle with Drama Busting is people’s appetite and willingness to participate in drama-making conversations. People can find a false sense of power when sharing the “inside information” about a project or person. Managers’ expectations often go unexpressed when groups spin into complaint mode, which results in even lower productivity and morale, and in turn generates more drama-making dialogues.
The antidote is simple to understand yet challenging to practice everyday. The change begins with acknowledging the strengths of the team and individuals while focusing on what is working for projects. This means keeping the focus on these qualities and experiences rather than on “what is not working” for people. Simply put: promoting brilliance.
The daily practice for Drama Busting is to consider this:
- What worked well today?
- Who do I need to acknowledge?
- What project success did we make today?
- What positive contributions did I make?
- Am I willing to focus on the brilliance over the criticism?
posted by Beth Wellesley @ 10:56 AM
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