#ThirstyThursday Issue #188

The Assist Newsletter
June 18, 2025
A cartoon butter cube holding a butter knife with the text “Did you hear the rumor about butter?” in bold purple letters on a yellow background.

Click the image for the punchline 👆.

Today’s Checklist: 

  • Get the lowdown on RAG (no, not the fabric)
  • The Independence Day that came 2 years late
  • 7 Ted Talks to level up your communication
  • The mobility exercise you shouldn’t skip

QUICK LINKS

🗣️ Ever notice someone never asks questions? Psychologists explain why.

📚 Free webinar on Gen Z + workplace harassmentplus SHRM/HRCI credit.

😤 The tea on how to deal with difficult coworkers.

🔥 Ditch dieting. Get results that stick.

EMERGING TECH

A meme of SpongeBob holding his hands up under a rainbow with the words “AI AGENTS”; below it is a red X with the label “Too basic.”

AI That Acts, Not Just Chats

 

Takeaways:

  • Start with workflows, not autonomy. Most people use AI tools like LLMs in static ways, but workflows (e.g. combining Google Sheets with Claude) can make outputs more useful, though they still depend on human prompts and logic.
  • RAG and agents are not the same. Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) helps LLMs by looking up info before responding. AI agents go a step further. They reason, act, and make decisions on their own using tools and context.
  • True agents don’t just answer, they act. Whether summarizing articles or identifying skiers in video footage, autonomous agents perform tasks iteratively and independently. That shift, from tool to teammate, is the breakthrough.

Watch the explanation on YouTube.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

A flat-style illustration of a person giving a presentation to an audience, pointing to a screen with charts and a red square showing a downward trend arrow.

Tools That Make You Look 10x More Organized

 

Managing a project sounds simple: set goals, assign tasks, hit deadlines. But anyone who’s been in the trenches knows the truth—missed updates, scope creep, team silos, and that dreaded question: “Wait, who’s responsible for this?”

The best project managers don’t just keep lists. They use the right tools to keep things moving and keep everyone aligned.

The usual challenges:

  • Murky roles and unclear ownership
  • Communication breakdowns
  • Mismanaged time and resources
  • Zero real-time visibility

These tools help you fix all that:

🟨 monday.com

For visual thinkers who love a good timeline. Boards, automations, and dashboards that actually keep work flowing.

Bonus*:* Get started in minutes with our review + startup guide.

📊 Smartsheet

Think Excel with superpowers. Gantt charts, dependencies, and serious control over complex workflows.

🧩 Quickbase

Custom dashboards without a dev team. Ideal for teams with specific workflows or compliance needs.

🛠️ Zoho Projects

All-in-one + budget-friendly. Time tracking, milestones, file sharing, and built-in chat for smaller teams that want big coverage.

From kickoff to delivery, these tools help you plan better, communicate faster, and stay one step ahead without working overtime to do it.

AMERICAN HISTORY

A man standing in an empty parking lot with a text overlay that reads “Juneteenth… Who cares??” in bold black letters on a yellow background.

The Freedom Holiday Often Overlooked

 

Takeaways:

  • Juneteenth honors the day 250,000+ enslaved people in Texas were finally freed—two years after slavery officially ended. It is a true symbol of delayed justice and liberation.
  • The human cost of slavery is staggering. Of the 12 million Africans enslaved and shipped to the Americas, 1.5 million died during transport. By the time of emancipation, 6.5 million had already been worked to death without freedom or compensation, far surpassing all American military casualties combined.
  • We glorify holidays rooted in marketing more than justice. Christmas, driven largely by Coca-Cola branding, dominates our culture…..while Juneteenth, a day commemorating freedom from systemic brutality, still fights for the recognition and reverence it deserves.

Learn more about Juneteenth on TikTok.

SOFT SKILLS

Illustration of a man in a green shirt with the text “7 TED Talks To Master Communication” above him, featuring the TED logo prominently in red.

7 TED Talks to Master Communication

 

Takeaways:

  • Clear communication starts inside. Self-awareness and body language (see: Brittany Packnett, Lynne Franklin) shape how you’re heard.
  • Giving feedback and handling conflict is a learned skill. LeeAnn Renninger and Julia Dhar offer blueprints you can use today.
  • Great communicators are great listeners. These talks show why clarity received matters more than what was said.

Read the LinkedIn post.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

A playful 3D-style sun wearing sunglasses peeks out of a green beach bag with a gift box, set against a pink background with teal and white tropical leaves.

Don’t Let Burnout Crash Your Summer Vibes

 

If your crew is running on fumes, summer’s the perfect time to reset the vibe.

Because the best teams? They’re energized, engaged, and feel seen.

🎁 Turn up the morale with gifts they’ll actually use:

💌 Want it to really land? Make it personal

A sleek cooler for summer Fridays or a passport wallet that says, “Seriously, go take that trip”.

Because when people feel genuinely appreciated, they show up better. And that summer glow? It’s contagious.

MOBILITY

A woman lies face down on a mat doing a leg exercise, with lower-body pain graphics below and a red banner that reads “Weak Glutes And Back Pain?”

Avoid “Dead Butt Syndrome” (Yes, It’s a Real Thing)

 

Takeaways:

  • Skipping your glute warm-up? That’s how you end up with “dead butt syndrome” aka overworked spine, underused booty.
  • A quick foam roll wakes up sleepy muscles. Hit your hip flexors to reduce back pain, boost pelvic health, and move better.
  • Strength comes from balance; activate the back (glutes) while releasing the front (hip flexors) to move pain-free and strong.

Watch the exercises on Facebook.

STAFF PICKS

Stuff We’re Loving This Week

 

🔍 This ATS shortlist might just have your next star hire hiding in it.

📍 Work travel + team meals = handled.

💍 Thania loves this sleek, subtle, and stackable 14k gold diamond ring.

🛫 This leg hammock turns any flight into lounge mode.

JUST FOR FUN

Screenshot of an HBO Max Help tweet apologizing for an empty test email, humorously blaming an intern and assuring they’re being supported, ending with a heart emoji.

JOB LEADS

A stylized ribbon banner with shades of blue and green displays the word "HIRING" in bold, dark blue letters on a cream-colored background. The design has a clean and modern look against a light gray backdrop.

Your Next Gig = One Click Away

 

⭐ View more jobs here >

SPILL THE TEA

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