other  people,  and  situations. And  how  they  see themselves, other people, and the situations around them affects how they treat them. And how they treat them  is  often  the  way  they  become.  Confident recruiters  see  themselves  as  effective  public  speakers and  those  around  them  as  interesting  as  well  as interested. Their  speaking  engagements  have  the probability of turning out well with very little negative effects  of  stress.  Recruiters  with  low  self-concepts  are in a Catch-22 situation. The lower their self-esteem, the   poorer   their   performances;   the   poorer   their performance, the lower their self-esteem. Our job is to stop that vicious circle and restore the recruiters’ confidence.  With  proper  training,  we  can  get  them back  on  track  and  minimize  the  negative  effects  of stress. TYPE A BEHAVIOR We’ve  heard  a  lot  about  type  A  personalities lately.  Actually  we  should  be  talking  about  type  A behaviors.  Often  called  the  Hurry  Sickness,  type  A behavior is often found in the aggressive, overachiever type  of  individual. Type A Behavior Questionnaire A typical questiomaire is included here as figure 3-8.  Take  a  few  minutes  to  answer  the  questions. Don’t   panic   if   you   wind   up   exhibiting   type   A behavior.  Originally,  it  was  considered  to  be  a  bad health risk to be a type A. Recent studies have shown that only when these behaviors lead to anger are they truly harmful to your cardiac health. Controlling Type A Behavior Take a look at your list. Some type A behaviors have contributed to your success and you won’t want to change them.    There may be others that you feel you could work on. The idea is to reduce the amount of  distress  that  you  normally  have  so  when  a  new stressor is introduced, you are better able to handle it. We need to learn to let go of behaviors that are not helpful. If you have picked a behavior that you feel you would like to change, make a step-by-step plan to actually make it happen. Be patient; behaviors are difficult  to  change  overnight. SYMPTOMS  OF  MISMANAGED  STRESS You  need  to  be  able  to  recognize  the  signs  and symptoms of mismanaged stress in yourself as well as your  subordinates.  Be  observant.  Look  for  changes in behavior. If they have always exhibited one of the symptoms, it may be a part of their personality and not necessarily a sign of mismanaged stress. This is one  more  example  of  why  knowing  your  people  is such an important facet of leadership. The following list provides a few of the more common symptoms to watch out for: l   Loss of productivity l   Loss of concentration l   Impulsive behavior l   Latenes/absenteeism l     Changes in eating habits .    Irritability l   Loss of flexibility l   Loss of confidence l   Workaholism .    Changes in sleeping habits l   Sexual problems l      Negative attitude l    Depression l  Drinking/smoking more Once   you   have   identified   symptoms   of mismanaged   stress,   you   should   talk   with   the individuals to find out what sources of stress they are confronting.  You  may  be  able  to  provide  relief  for some of the sources of stress. Others will be beyond your  control.  Regardless,  establishing  a  supportive avenue of release should always be of benefit. STRESS  MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES Since stress is a fact of life, we should develop techniques  to  manage  its  effects. Techniques  to manage stress include analyzing our demands, our habits, and our thinking. 3-17