Khalil Smith

VP Inclusion, Diversity, & Engagement @Akamai. My views are my own :-)

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

Best compliment I ever got while consulting/executive coaching is when someone whom I respect greatly, recommended me to a peer of theirs and said, ‘Khalil isn’t cheap, but he’s the best’.

[Nikita Bier @nikitabier]

I used to be insulted when I met with a consultant/advisor who had an exorbitant rate—so I'd try to find someone cheaper.

I came to realize that there are four price levels for consultants and you should calibrate your expectations as follows:

A. Cheapest: Random guy in Kazakhstan who you find on Upwork. The instructions you have to provide will be so prescriptive that you are basically writing code, but the work will be completed to spec (if you are certain what the spec should be—which is rarely the case).
B. Middle: They signal that they can work without supervision but there's a 50-50 chance the project fails.
C. Top 10%: Same risk profile as the Middle. You're getting scammed.
D. Top 1%: They will save your team 6 months of work and have a reasonable likelihood of growing your company by an order of magnitude.

[Nick Bloom @I_Am_NickBloom]

It is frustrating reading articles on the productivity impact of WFH based on anecdotes from CEOs and politicians. These policies impact millions of employees, so should be grounded in data and research.

I summarized for The Hill what we know, covering the three main sources. These show mostly positive productivity impacts of WFH:
1) Micro-economic studies: these find small positive impacts of hybrid WFH on productivity, and mixed impacts of fully-remote WFH (negative when it's badly managed, positive when its well-managed).
2) Macro data: this shows US productivity growth accelerated as levels of WFH have jumped, suggesting a positive impact
3) Market data: this reveals massive adoption of WFH by firms globally and mostly favorable feedback from managers, suggesting a positive impact.
https://t.co/nqYDhvZhLa

[Historic Vids @historyinmemes]

A Lego letter to parents from 1974.

Here's the letter transcribed:

"To Parents

The urge to create is equally strong in all children. Boys and girls.

It's the imagination that counts. Not skill. You build whatever comes into your head, the way you want it. A bed or a truck.

A dolls house or a spaceship.
A lot of boys like dolls houses.

They're more human than spaceships. A lot of girls prefer spaceships. They're more exciting than dolls houses. The most important thing is to put the right material in their hands and let them create whatever appeals to them.”

Lego has no military related sets because the inventor's policy was to not want to make war seem like child's play.

[John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch]

NEW: a recent study found a fascinating pattern

People are becoming more zero-sum in their thinking, and weaker economic growth may explain why

Older generations grew up with high growth and formed aspirational attitudes; younger ones have faced low growth and are more zero-sum

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

Wow. Wow. Wow.

[Financial Review @FinancialReview]

Gurner Group founder Tim Gurner tells the Financial Review Property Summit workers have become "arrogant" since COVID and "We've got to kill that attitude." https://t.co/lcX3CCxGuj

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

This advertisement is brilliant on so many levels.

Love the emotion, love the ferocity, and love the reveal. Watch all the way through.

[Joe Pompliano @JoePompliano]

This is one of the best sports ads I've ever seen…watch until the end 🔥

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

I’m on Threads now, khalil_smith, and eager to *not post* on there as much as I’ve historically *not posted* on Twitter.

Well on my way to 100,000+ followers who will get nothing from following me...

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

You can’t justifiably and rationally remove race-conscious admissions yet retain legacy admissions.

If the goal is to judge each applicant based solely on their individual merits, and ignore any pre-existing obstacles or privileges, then legacy has to also go.

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

“We’re talking so much about where people work and not enough about how people work,”

@katieburkie laying down gems, and showing how it can/should be done at @HubSpot

[Haymaker Group @HaymakerGroup]

As the RTO vs. WFH debate continues, @HubSpot's @katieburkie spoke with @_constantjo at @business on her approach to hybrid work and how HubSpot is prioritizing employee connection. https://t.co/QQhjrmIguh

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

The horrible irony is that well-run DEI programs teach about and promote fairness, individual responsibility, and the power of systems.

Banning, as opposed to learning, enhancing, and evolving, just reinforces that there’s not even a desire to have the necessary conversations.

[The New York Times @nytimes]

Texas lawmakers on Sunday approved a ban on offices and programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion at publicly funded colleges and universities. https://t.co/gQ2HqPV4O4

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

To all the people out there for whom our parents are some of our biggest supporters, and those of us trying to be the same for our babies (no matter their age)

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

This. This. 1000 times, this.

As people start going back to conferences and in-person large events, please normalize this.

And please stop saying ‘I don’t need a microphone, I have a loud voice’.

[Devon Cantwell-Chavez @devon_cantwell]

I am begging folks:

If a workshop is providing and asking folks to use a mic, please do not refuse to use the mic and ask "can everyone hear me without this?" Just use the mic. Being heard is not just about the volume but also about the clarity of being able to hear the words.

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

I love this because it’s a small example of the idea that you don’t get what you don’t ask for. It’s a wonderful idea to think we’ll be recognized for skill or desire alone, but we may need to speak up and be seen. Won’t always work. Won’t always be comfortable. Still worth it.

[Jay Clouse @jayclouse]

I love Ted Lasso.

And I love this story about Brett Goldstein (the actor who plays Roy Kent).

Brett was hired as a writer for the show but started to feel like he actually could be one of the characters…

So he filmed himself doing a couple of scenes as Roy and sent it to the team for consideration.

He already HAD a job on the crew but he probably wouldn’t have been cast as a character without going out of his way to prove himself and then ASK for the role.

What else might you accomplish if you just pushed a little further?

If you asked for what you wanted?

[Jay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel]

This is what economic inequality looks like: https://t.co/z5rgPzNx0d

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

Given that there is ample research from trusted sources showing that diverse and inclusive teams make better decisions, perhaps they weren’t focused *enough* on representation and a culture of speaking up and being heard?

[Acyn @Acyn]

Rep. Mike Collins(R-GA) wonders if diversity, equity, and inclusion contributed Norfolk Southern train derailment

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

So much in here. The importance of teachers and people who want to see others succeed. The importance of finding your passion. The importance of feeling your emotions.

Love this clip, and excited for Jonathan Majors to keep making his mark on the world.

[ryan mitchell @TheSlayGawd]

this is why tamron hall is on to her 5th season. these type of moments are so precious and speak to the how important her show is.

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

Tell me again how the brutalization of citizens and lack of accountability only affects minorities. People of color have been the bellwether for these kinds of abuses, but it’ always been to the detriment of society at large.

Reprehensible behavior.

[Hodgetwins @hodgetwins]

Dude is walking to work and gets body slammed and arrested? This shit has to stop.

“Sheriff's officials say it was later determined he was not breaking into cars, but he was charged with Obstruction of Justice, and is still facing those charges.”
https://t.co/8EbMUiMToa

[Khalil Smith @khalilsmith_]

I’ve gotten really close to canceling meetings because my dog was sleeping on me and I didn’t want to disturb him by getting up to go sit at my desk.

Really close.

[Adam Grant @AdamMGrant]

Dear CEOs: mass layoffs are counterproductive.

Hundreds of studies: firms that downsize end up being less profitable than peers that find other ways to lower costs (e.g., exec pay cuts, unpaid leaves).

Layoffs bleed talent & breed guilt+anxiety. They should be the last resort.