Avoid Popping Under Pressure
Pressure management is the key to effective leadership, conflict resolution, and staying composed when life feels like it’s stretching you to the limit. In How to Untie a Balloon, former hostage negotiator and founder of Conflictish® Ryan Dunlap provides practical strategies for managing stress, mastering conflict management, and building emotional resilience.
#1 New Release in Conflict Management, in Human Resources & Personnel Management, and in Family Conflict Resolution
Dunlap reveals the hidden impact of pressure on our thoughts, decisions, and actions. Using the analogy of a balloon, he demonstrates how unchecked stress, unresolved tension, and mismanaged conflict can lead us to self-destructive behaviors—making us dangerous to ourselves and those around us.
This book offers a practical roadmap to mastering conflict resolution for adults and implementing effective conflict reduction strategies. Through real-world narratives and the F.I.R.S.T. Steps framework, Dunlap simplifies complex conflicts into manageable components: Feelings, Interests, Relationships, Situation, and Toll. These strategies for resolving conflict enhance your self-awareness and empower you with the conflict management techniques needed to lead effectively in high-pressure environments.
Through each step of the F.I.R.S.T. Steps framework, you’ll learn how to:
- Regain control over your emotions—so you don’t react in ways that cost you respect and influence.
- Pinpoint what really matters—separating surface frustrations from deeper issues driving your stress.
- Strengthen your relationships—so conflict doesn’t leave you bitter, burned out, or alone.
- Navigate high-stakes situations with confidence—no mo
