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Coleman Management Consultants, Inc was formed in 1980 to assist organizations in fully utilizing all of their human resources. We began with helping organizations to better understand the then new Civil Rights legislation and later to help them understand the real need to change their organization’s culture to embrace their growing diverse populations. This required Awareness and Sensitivity training for all executives, managers and associates, as well as seeking the best practices for more inclusive policies and practices.

THE CELEBRATION OF: BLACK HISTORY MONTH

THE MESSAGE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE

MY LIFE EXPERIENCES ALLOWS ME TO PRESENT A HISTORICAL VIEW OF NOT ONLY DIVERSITY ISSUES BUT ALSO A POSITIVE MESSAGE OF HOW INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH TEAMWORK AND HOPE. I WANT TO DO THIS BY SHARING MY P.I.E. MODEL ON HOW OUR ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEM WORKS. I ALSO WANT TO DEFINE WHAT EVERYONE’S (BLACK/WHITE, MEN/WOMEN, YOUNG/OLD, STRAIGHT/GAY, ABLE/DISABLED, WHITE MALES/ AND ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR) RESPONSIBILITIES ARE TO MOVE FROM OUR “MENTAL, CULTURAL RESERVATIONS” THAT WE MAY BE ON, TO UNITE IN COMMON INTERESTS, SOLIDARITY AND TEAMWORK. IT IS A MESSAGE THAT WILL REFLECT ON OUR PAST, THE PROGRESS WE HAVE MADE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, A LOOK TO THE POSITIVE FUTURE IN A WORLD OF DIVERSITY THAT LIES AHEAD.

MY LIFE EXPERIENCES AND QUALIFICATIONS

As an African-American, my beginnings were labor class in our “separate but equal” society. I have worked picking fruits and vegetables on farms, was a shoe shine boy, a golf caddy, a bowling pinsetter, worked on a garbage truck, mowed lawns, was a dishwasher, a delivery and bus boy, a chimney sweep cleaning out the ashes of large industrial coal furnaces, a construction and steel worker.

I joined the American mainstream when the Xerox Corporation hired me as their first black salesman shortly after the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964. I also spent twelve years with the IBM Corporation. In 1967 with IBM, I wrote their first “Black Awareness Program”, which was the first one conducted in our country by any organization, and delivered that program to all IBM locations below the Mason/Dixon Line. While at IBM, I held positions of Sales Manager, Manager of EEO, Manager of Management Development, and Regional Director of HR.

After leaving IBM, I worked for three years in New York City with Boyle-Kirkman & Associates,
the first women’s consulting firm formed in our country. I was the only male in a firm of thirtytwo women. The mission of our firm was so unique that “60 Minutes” featured us in a twentyminute segment during the women’s revolution of the seventies because no one could believe
that any company would train women to be managers. It was widely believed that women
would never be able to manage men, and thus it was a waste of time and money. During this
period, I had a chance to meet such leaders of the movement as Helen Gurley Brown, Gloria
Steinem, and Bella Abzug. I also met Black revolution leaders, including H. Rap Brown, Bobby
Seals, and Angela Davis.

As to the challenges individuals might face in reaching mainstream America, I can speak from first-hand experience. Growing up in the “Jim Crow” era, in my life, I have been arrested twice at sit-ins, have had crosses burned on the lawns of three different houses into which I have moved, was a Mississippi Freedom Rider, and was at Dr. King’s, “I have a Dream” speech. I am proud to say I have shaken the hand of “Daddy” King, Dr. King, Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King 3rd, John Lewis, and Andy Young. I can at least say that my right-hand has a little of our nation’s history in our struggle for equal rights. With Andy Young, I trained his executive team when he was Mayor of Atlanta and was one of seven attending Coretta King’s first two planning sessions for the MLK Center in Atlanta.

That, however, is only part of the message I would like to share. A more important one is to explain the “unwritten rules” of the organizational system and what I think it will take for us to move forward as individuals, as organizations, and as a nation. To illustrate this, when I personally learned the rules and started to play by them, I was able to move from my labor class beginnings to eventually become the past Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta’s Girls Club, member of the National Board of the Girls Club, member of the Boards of the Boys Scouts of Greater Atlanta, The Atlanta Neighborhood Justice Center and Saint Joseph Hospital. I am currently on the board of advisors of the Georgia Museum of Art and the Atlanta Ballet.

I have been a consultant to England’s House of Lords and have taught at IBM’s International Executive School in Brussels and GE’s International Executive School. I have been a guest lecturer at the MBA schools of Wharton, Emory University, Carnegie-Melon, and Georgia Tech. I was chosen as the first “Small Businessman of the Year” by the Greater Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. While in the US Army, I was proud to be named “European Soldier of the Year” when stationed in Germany during the Berlin crisis.

One of the accomplishments of which I am most proud was becoming an Eagle Scout in my childhood. Also, in my youth, I had the fun experience of singing in a Do-Wop group that opened for Ray Charles, James Brown, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Bobby Daring, and others.

My later life accomplishments, however, were not done because of any brilliance on my part but simply by learning what our system and its rules required to enable social advancement. It shows that anyone who knows the rules can make an impact in their organization and on our society if they understand how our system works and can gain knowledge of its “unwritten rules”. It is information that can level the playing field for all employees.

If given the opportunity to speak at your Black History Month celebration, I would like to expose my information to the increasing numbers of women, minorities, and immigrants that are growing in numbers in our labor force today. If we are to achieve Dr. King’s dream of a fair and prosperous future multicultural world, a step in that direction is making the “unwritten rules” known to all employees.

Talent Development is one of most organizations’ significant concerns and efforts today. My experience has shown me that even successful white executives, although they have played by the rules, were unaware of what they did to reach their current positions. They were lucky enough to get into circles that practiced the mainstream rules and fortunately, went along with the crowd. At least fifty percent of my training sessions are with white executives in corporations, the government, and the military. The other half is to share my information with ERG groups in organizations.

WOMEN’S CONVENTION SPEAKER

Harvey has been speaking at women conventions and conducting Women Leadership seminars for over forty years. He has personally witnessed the progress that women and our society has made in the acceptance of women as leaders. This talk will spell out the remaining challenges that must be overcome to level the playing field for all women.

Of course, All messages will be tailor to meet your specific desired objectives for your event. The talk will be of interest to all attendees and make a difference.

Again, thank you for your consideration.

My contact information:
Harvey J. Coleman. President
Coleman Management Consultants, Inc
Phone: 404 234-0683 E-mail: cmc@hcoleman.com Website: www.hcoleman.com