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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. The newcomers also tend to see office matters with a fresh eye, in the process sometimes coming up with critical analyses of the forces that shape everyones experience in the organization. Consider the novel views of Harvey Coleman of Atlanta 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 ATT, CocaCola, Prudential, and Merch. Coleman says that based on what hes 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 wont 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 Kaleel Jamison, a New York based management consultant who helps corporation s deal with these issues. They think that if you work hard, youll get ahead-t hat someone in authority will reach down and give you a promotion. She adds, Most women and blacks are so frightened that people will think theyve 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. | 
