Transform Everyday Drama
TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic)
The Empowerment Triangle is a highly original and effective escape from the Drama Triangle.”
Stephen Karpman, M.D., originator of the Karpman Drama Triangle
About The Empowerment Dynamic
Utterly simple and endlessly nuanced.” – Molly Gordon MCC
TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic)® is the positive alternative to the Drama Triangle, which was first described by Stephen Karpman, MD in the late 1960’s. To explain the power of The Empowerment Dynamic it is useful to first understand the Dreaded Drama Triangle (DDT for short, like the toxin). (Also see Drama Triangle)
When in conflict people step into three primary “roles” or patterns of destructive and reactive behavior.
The primary role is that of a Victim, who feels powerless over the situation and often gives up on what they want. They may step back, disengage, complain, or say, consciously or unconsciously, “poor me.”
The second role is of that of a Persecutor which, while often a person, it can be a condition (e.g. health) or a situation (e.g. a natural disaster)—anyone or anything that causes the Victim to feel powerless or hopeless.
A person who “plays” the role of Persecutor blames the Victim and tries to control and manage the situation. When in the Persecuting role one often says, “Who caused this problem?” or “Who is to blame here?” When this conflict occurs, the Rescuer emerges, which is the third role in the DDT.
The Rescuer tries to repair the conflict, by being helpful and pleasing, hoping to alleviate the suffering of the Victim by either “fixing” them or the situation. When in the Rescuer role, one thinks they are helping the situation when they are, unintentionally, adding energy to the dance of the drama.
People shift in and out of all three roles in the DDT, sometimes at lightning speed, racing around the very dynamic and reactive Drama Triangle roles. The result is people feel trapped in the DDT and often everyone feels victimized by the situation.
But there is a way out!
This is where the TED* roles are so important. The Empowerment Dynamic a set of relationships or roles that serve as the alternative “antidote” to the toxic DDT and to living life victimized by drama. Through the roles of Creator, Challenger, and Coach, TED* empowers us to choose our response to life’s difficult situations.
The DDT brings to life relationships in conflict, while The Empowerment Dynamic describes relationships that are positive, constructive, empowering, resilient, and outcome based.
In David Emerald’s short yet engaging, book, The Power of TED*, three characters have a life-changing conversation on a beach. What emerges from this illustrated teaching story is an empowered and resourceful way of thinking, relating, and living that increases our ability to create outcomes and to make choices—whatever our circumstances.
The TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic) Roles
Reconnecting to your dreams and desires, and acting toward those outcomes, shifts your mindset for what you don’t want to what you do want. When this shift in focus occurs, something amazing happens. You feel inspired and capable to live a life of choice and empowerment.
The TED* roles of Creator, Challenger, and Coach are the essence of who you are, encouraging you to step into the light of your dreams and desires. They work together to bring forward the best version of yourself.
What is the Dreaded Drama Triangle (DDT)?
First described by Dr. Stephen Karpman in the late 1960’s, the Drama Triangle roles of Victim, Persecutor, and Rescuer vividly describe the most common ways we human beings relate to each other when in conflict. Renamed the Dreaded Drama Triangle (DDT) in David Emerald’s book, The Power of TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic), the DDT aptly describes the toxic nature of these roles. All three of the roles have their roots in a Problem Orientation and react to the anxiety that arises when they focus on what they don’t want or don’t like. Each role also sees the other DDT roles as a problem to react to.
The TED* roles of Creator, Challenger, and Coach are the essence of who you are, encouraging you to step into the light of your dreams and desires. They work together to bring forward the best version of yourself.
These drama roles are behavior strategies that the ego creates to manage its anxiety about what it doesn’t like or want. Some aspects of the roles are useful and help human beings learn to cope and survive. These roles are often adopted and honed early on in one’s life as a way of coping.
However, the roles over time become outdated and limiting. They are not necessarily “bad”—they simply limit one’s effectiveness and prevent more creative ways to work with life’s challenges. By recognizing these patterns when they arise, one can observe them in action and choose a more empowering way to think, relate, and take action, which is what is provided through the TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic) roles.
Who Do You Want To Be?
Coaching with The Empowerment Dynamic
This is rich information that I will be able to continue in my coaching practice. I am so glad I took the course. And Donna is such an open and affirming soul. Tuning into listen to her heart-felt passion for this work and what it can do to improve the world is an uplifting experience in itself.”
Christy Vincent, Ph.D., Professional and Organizational Development Consultant
An online course that blends life-changing insights with small group practice and real-time experiential learning.
Facilitated by Donna Zajonc, MCC
The Empowerment Dynamic is a revolutionary approach to creating an entirely new human operating system. This groundbreaking personal development experience is designed for professional coaches, experienced human resource specialists, counselors, therapists, leaders, and others who are supporting people in their personal and professional development.
People are experiencing extraordinary levels of stress and overwhelm, both personally and professional. To support them we must first free ourselves from our own drama and personal stories. We simply cannot partner with others unless we are first liberated from our own self-imposed limitations.
The Empowerment Dynamic coaching course is a profound, yet clear and simple method to free yourself from your reactive habits. When you embrace The Empowerment Dynamic roles of Creator, Challenger and Coach, something amazing happens. Reactive drama is transformed into results and dreams that really matter.
At the end of this powerful course, you will leave with an expanded experience of how to trust your inner guidance as your true source of wisdom and creativity and be ready to partner with others as they strengthen their impact as a leader and coach.
Transform Workplace Drama
3 Vital Questions
It is impossible to describe what a profound impact the 3 Vital Questions have had on my life, personally and professionally.”
Chris Nagel, Director of Leadership & Team Development, Cleveland Clinic
If you have ever experienced infighting, such as a team or a department pitting itself against another team or department; if you have ever worked for a micromanaging and overbearing boss; if you have ever navigated the changes that come with a merger or other significant restructuring process, then you have had a front-row seat to organizational drama.
At a minimum, workplace drama causes inefficiency, frustration, and waste. The personal costs to those who work in organizations is immeasurable.
3VQ For Teams
Transform workplace drama and say goodbye to business-as-usual with our facilitated online course, tailored for you and your team.
This facilitated 3 Vital Questions online course improves communication, relationships, and productivity.
- Empowered Individuals: Awaken your inner observer and increase self-awareness as you learn practical ways to notice what triggers everyday drama and how to shift into more empowering ways of relating to others.
- Cohesive Teams: Leaders will recover from reactive behavior more quickly so they can coach and develop their staff more effectively. Participants will ignite their passion for work and those they work with.
- Productive Workplace: Employees will experience a renewed sense of personal change, showing up to work with less stress and more ease and resulting in improved organizational outcomes.
- Tailored to Fit Your Situation: Let us know what workplace drama issues you are experiencing and we will customize our facilitated sessions to specifically address those areas.
Become a 3 Vital Questions Certified Trainer
Becoming a Certified 3 Vital Questions® (3VQ) Trainer will prepare you to serve your clients and customers—whether internal or external—in learning the 3VQs and applying them in their work and lives. The people you serve will be empowered to focus on desired outcomes rather than problems and avoid getting caught in the Dreaded Drama Triangle (DDT) that so often sabotages our success in the workplace and in our lives. You will be certified to take the 3VQs into the classroom, meeting room, and in working with individuals, teams, and organizations. You will support their development in adopting a Creator Orientation, enhance their capabilities as Creator, Challenger, and Coach, and to plan for, and take, the Baby Step actions that serve their creating and achieving results.
Meet Our Team
Our Mission as the Center for The Empowerment Dynamic is to inspire individuals, professionals, and organizations to grow more resourceful and resilient in all their relationships—with others and themselves, at home and at work—through simple, universal, and cross-cultural frameworks for thinking, relating, and taking action.
Our Vision is that human beings are living and working in a world where all people are acknowledged as Co-Creators, endowed with the inherent capacity to generate outcomes; to choose their response to life events; and to live in harmony and cooperation with all living things.
Our Purpose is to transform human relationships in order to inspire and unleash the heart and soul of humanity.
David Emerald, Author, Creator in Chief
Born John David Womeldorff (but always going by Dave or David), he adopted the pen name of David Emerald as a “tip of the hat” to his adopted Seattle-area home of the past 20 years (Seattle is nicknamed the “Emerald City”).
David is the author of the best-selling The Power of TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic) and 3 Vital Questions: Transforming Workplace Drama. He is also Creator-in-Chief of the Center for The Empowerment Dynamic and works in close collaboration with his partner, Donna Zajonc MCC.
Drawing on over 30 years of experience in personal growth, leadership education, executive and organization development, David is highly skilled at translating his frameworks into simple-to-understand language for practical application in work and life.
His TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic)® and 3 Vital Questions® frameworks are widely used around the world by individuals, teams and organizations to transform everyday drama and facilitate teamwork, change and productivity.
He is a master speaker, teacher, facilitator, and storyteller who brings enthusiasm and clarity to speaking and facilitating workshops and team retreats. He delights in supporting companies and individuals in transforming drama into empowered ways of thinking, relating with others, and taking action to create sustainable outcomes. David is conversational, entertaining, and approachable as he shares his simple, yet profound philosophies.
David lives on Bainbridge Island, WA, where he finds refuge to recharge, reflect, and create before heading back out into the world (or, these days, to the “virtual world”) to offer his gifts.
David earned a master’s degree in Applied Behavioral Science from Wright State University (Dayton, OH), where he was the 2016 alumnus of the year for the School of Social Sciences.
He loves taking leisurely walks in the forests of the island; riding his “power-assist” bike among the rolling hills; witnessing Charley and Huck (Donna’s daughter’s children) grow and explore the world—and playing pickleball.
History
Our Evolution into the Center for The Empowerment Dynamic (A Comprehensive History)
