Standing in the Fire

In this summary you will learn

• How to stay in control when conflicts or “fires” erupt during meetings
• How to turn heated discussions into positive exchanges
• How to facilitate group interactions

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Why you should read Standing in the Fire

Your mother may have told you not to play with matches, but you can’t always avoid fiery exchanges when you facilitate a meeting or lead a group. Organizational development consultant Larry Dressler explains why you should encourage rather than stifle heated discussions. He shares ways to control those personal “hot buttons” – sensitivities you’ve developed from past experiences – that can make you lose your cool in the heat of the moment. He reveals six steps for dealing with hot topics to help you successfully run a meaningful session when tempers flare. The book is a bit repetitious, and its advice may be familiar to readers of self-help books; however, it does contain practical suggestions and useful anecdotes that do a good job of illustrating its points. getAbstract recommends its expert guidance and practice exercises to anyone who leads or works with teams, whether in the workplace, on the playing field or at home.

About the Author

Larry Dressler, an organizational development consultant, also wrote Consensus Through Conversation.