The more women and minorities make their way into the ranks of management, the more they seem to want to talk about things formerly judged to be best left unsaid.
Consider the novel views on the subject of getting ahead.Coleman is black.He spent 11
years with IBM, half of them working in management development, and now serves as a
consultant to the likes of AT & T, Coca Cola.Coleman says that based on what he"s seen at
big companies, he weighs the different elements that make for long term career success as
follows: performance counts a mere 10%; image,30%; and exposure, a full 60%.Coleman
concludes that excellent job performance is so common these days that while doing your work
well may win you pay increases, it won"t secure you the big promotion.He finds that advancement
more often depends on how many people know you and your work, and how high up they are.
Ridiculous beliefs? Not to many people, especially many women and members of minority races
who, like Coleman, feel that the scales have dropped from their eyes."Women and blacks in
organizations work under false beliefs," says Kaleen Jamison, a New York based management
consultant who helps corporations deal with these issues."They think that if you work hard, you"ll get
ahead and someone in authority will reach down and give you a promotion." She added, "Most women
and blacks are so frightened that people will think they"ve gotten ahead because of their sex or color
that they play down their visibility." Her advice to those folks: learn the ways that white males have
traditionally used to find their way into the spotlight.