Exact Staff News

Umm… So… Mmhmmm In this earlier post, “Words and Phrases Smart People Never Use in Conversation,” we explained why filler words like these can make you sound less intelligent than you really are. But hold on a second (well, 200 milliseconds, to be exact). According to N.J. Enfield, a professor of linguistics at the University…

At Exact Staff, we’re continually searching for ways to improve the effectiveness of our organization’s leaders. And when we find great new ideas, we share them here! Over the years, we’ve written dozens of posts to help you grow as a leader by: Making better decisions Building high-performing teams Becoming more inspirational In today’s leadership…

The language you use at work can inspire, inform, persuade and instill trust – or make you sound utterly clueless. Which side of the communication fence do you stand on? The truth is, all of us are occasionally undisciplined in our word choices. But if you’re habitually using any of the following words or phrases,…

Ever have one of those mornings when you’re feeling positive, full of energy, focused and ready to tackle whatever work throws your way? We think you need more of those. Sure, it helps to have a solid morning routine. But if you want to make dramatic improvements in your happiness and productivity in the a.m.,…

Email. Whether you love it or abhor it, two things are true: It’s an indispensable part of business. And it isn’t going by the wayside anytime soon. Yet, as ubiquitous a form of communication email is, many professionals are bad at using it – sending dense blocks of text, spamming inboxes with unnecessary “Reply All”…

Daydreaming? Ignoring emails? Staring at pictures of puppies? They may sound like a recipe for disaster at work – but they can boost your performance. Over the years, we’ve been programmed to equate success with working relentlessly at breakneck speed. In reality? High performance comes from working smarter, not harder. So, before you automatically discount…

You were passed over for that promotion. You were never called in for that interview. You thought that, by this point, you’d be much further along in your career. Where did things go wrong? It’s natural to be disheartened, frustrated, even a little confused when your career feels like it’s off the rails – especially…

Amateur or professional? Regardless of industry, functional discipline or role, most of us prefer to be thought of as the latter. But what, exactly, sets true professionals apart – and how can you make that transformative leap from “wannabe” to “the real deal”? The first step is to understand these stark differences between amateurs and…

The way you interact with a waitress. Your shoes. Using conversational crutches like “so” or “anyway.” What do little things like these tell the world about you? A lot, apparently! Right or wrong, our brains are hardwired to make sense out of situations. As a result, we make all kinds of snap judgments about strangers…

Hearing the words “trust me” at work can inspire confidence and hope – or just make you want to roll your eyes. Why is the phrase so meaningful when one person utters it – and yet utterly meaningless when someone else says it? Some are just better at building trust than others. As we mentioned…