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Article:
Army Ranger Reveals How to Control Corporate Stress by: Dale Collie 'Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.' Hans Selye - the 'father of stress' and founder of the Canadian Institute of Stress. Every worker in America has heard of individual stress management techniques -- relaxation, meditation, and visualization -- good tools for getting through stressful periods. But if they're so great, why do we still have all this stress? We're going to need something more than mood music, aroma therapy, and comfortable lighting to get beyond the stress of today's workplace. We're going to need management's attention because stress control is a leadership responsibility. The US Army has plenty of experience with stress control as front line leaders strive to keep GIs on the job. Traditionally, the US Army has lost as many soldiers to stress as to enemy gunfire - a ratio of 1:1. The most elite units trim this loss to a ratio of 1:10 - one stress loss for every 10 wounded soldiers. Regardless of the ratio, every front line soldier is critical to winning the battle. Commanders know that controlling stress under fire is as critical as food, fuel, and ammunition. The same holds true for corporate America. You can't get high productivity with high absenteeism. Combat leaders watch for stress symptoms and take action. They are taught to 'Know your troops, and be alert for any sudden, persistent or progressive change in their behavior that threatens the functioning and safety of your unit.' (FM 6-22.'5
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