Standing in the Fire

Leading High-Heat Meetings with Clarity, Calm, and Courage

By: Larry Dressler

Narrated by: John Pruden

Many experienced facilitators, OD consultants, coaches, and organizational leaders increasingly find themselves standing in the fire - working in situations where group and community members are polarized, angry, fearful, and confused. Facilitator Larry Dressler has come to believe that simply picking up yet another method or technique wont help in situations like these. What has a truly transformational impact is what he calls the "facilitators presence". Cultivating an ability to access a compassionate presence that people experience as open, authentic, and clear in intention during the most difficult situations moves facilitators from being competent professionals to being on a path toward self-mastery.

©2010 Larry Dressler (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Amazing!!!

Amazing experience going through this guide full of wisdom and pragmatic facilitation practices!! Thank you, Larry!

For Alll Who Work with Groups

This book is for OD professionals, facilitators, leaders and other who find themselves seeking to work in the group context. It details how one can deal with anger, resentment, high tension and other issues that often take us by surprise. This is not a book about presentations; it is a book about behavioral issues related to working with groups. Dressler tells us how to such things as how to deal with personal “hot buttons” and how to get along when things don’t go as “planned.” The book can be repetitious. A lot is borrowed from “self help books” and pop-like psychology. However, the book affirmed methods that I have had to learn the hard way through trial and error. It is a book anyone working with groups might find helpful and informative. Well read by John Pruden.

Powerful resource for meeting facilitators

Larry thoughtfully describes and shares his process, learnings and tools for facilitating high-stakes meetings. His reflections on what it’s like to do this work rang so true to me and I came to new realizations about how to do the work even better. He is so generous and vulnerable in how he takes us into his practices to cultivate authenticity and open-heartedness when facilitating. I found the specific practices particularly helpful. Thank you, Larry, for your work and for sharing it so thoughtfully and generously. This is a must-read for anyone who works with or is part of a group.

A Convener's Professional Development Resource

This book is intended for anyone who considers themselves a convener and who often finds themselves in the midst of heated discussion. It is divided into three sections: the first describes the nature of high-heat situations and what it takes to facilitate effectively, the second describes six ways of standing in the fire that are interconnected and occur simultaneously, and the third outlines practices that conveners can use to deepen their abilities to implement the six ways of standing in the fire. Throughout the book, the reader is encouraged to reflect on their own practice and choose areas to strengthen. For practitioners of this kind of work, it's a great resource to revisit repeatedly for long-term professional development.