Evaluate influence strategies in organizational relationships
David Kipnis & Stuart M. Schmidt
The Profiles Of Organizational Influence Strategies 
(POIS) measures how
people use influence in their organizations. The POIS fulfills consultants
and trainers’ need for evidence-based, reliable, and valid instruments
to diagnose and positively develop influence usage in organizational relationships.
The POIS items are behavioral and transparent; thus, there are no hidden
meanings and being behavioral the strategies can be successfully taught
to improve organizational effectiveness. The POIS reports provide a “snapshot” of
one’s influence style with a particular person (manager) or persons
(subordinates or co-workers).
The use of the influence strategies is measured in two ways:
- The typical use of influence—the relative strength of influence strategies when he or she first attempts to exercise influence
- The influence strategy when resistance is encountered—this answers the question, “How flexible is this person in responding to refusals to comply?”
The POIS comes in these forms:
Manager, Form M - Particularly valuable for exploring barriers to effective upward persuasive communication.
Co-worker, Form C - Most relevant to the development of management teams.
Subordinates, Form S - Helpful in the context of supervisory training programs that are designed to improve or alter the pattersn of influence used by managers with their subordinates.
The POIS Trainer’s Manual explains the POIS and the validity and psychometric work that has been done. It provides guidelines for using the POIS and suggestions for how to engage in group training with the POIS.
The POIS Respondent’s Guide and the Web-based reports assist trainees in understanding the meaning of their influence profiles; teaches Strategic Influence Theory to help respondents avoid being trapped in using inappropriate influence strategies because they may be “prisoners of their personalities.”
See a sample POIS Manager report (pdf, 50kb)
Get the free Adobe Acrobat here
| Paper by mail |
Online |
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| POIS Trainer's Manual |
 |
$40.00 |  |
| POIS Respondent's Guide | |
$20.00 | |
| POIS Bulk Permissions (includes all three forms to choose from) | |||
| Bundle of 150 copies ($0.80 each) | |
$120.00 |
|
| Bundle of 200 ($0.75 each) | |
$150.00 | |
| Bundle of 300 ($0.70 each) | |
$210.00 | |
| Bundle of 400 ($0.65 each) | |
$260.00 | |
| Bundle of 500 ($0.60 each) | |
$300.00 | |
About discounts click here. For larger quantities, please contact us |
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| POIS-M Manager Web-Based Administration | |||
| Individual report | |
$9.00 | |
| Bundle of 10 reports ($8 each) | |
$80.00 | |
| Bundle of 20 reports ($7 each) | |
$140.00 | |
| Bundle of 50 reports ($5 each) | |
$250.00 | |
| Bundle of 100 reports ($4 each) | |
$400.00 | |
About discounts click here. For larger quantities, please contact us |
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| POIS-C Co-Worker Web-Based Administration | |||
| Individual report | |
$9.00 | |
| Bundle of 10 reports ($8 each) | |
$80.00 | |
| Bundle of 20 reports ($7 each) | |
$140.00 | |
| Bundle of 50 reports ($5 each) | |
$250.00 | |
| Bundle of 100 reports ($4 each) | |
$400.00 | |
About discounts click here. For larger quantities, please contact us |
|||
| POIS-S Subordinate Web-Based Administration | |||
| Individual report | |
$9.00 | |
| Bundle of 10 reports ($8 each) | |
$80.00 | |
| Bundle of 20 reports ($7 each) | |
$140.00 | |
| Bundle of 50 reports ($5 each) | |
$250.00 | |
| Bundle of 100 reports ($4 each) | |
$400.00 | |
About discounts click here. For larger quantities, please contact us |
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Translations of this instrument are available. For a complete list of translations, along with more details on our translation policy, please visit our translations index page.
Features of the POIS
- Three forms: Manager, Subordinate, Co-worker
- Can be used to design training programs
- Can be used for follow-up assessment to measure long-range success.
- Designed for individual coaching, team building, and organizational diagnosis
Uses of the POIS
- Column I scores describe how you typically attempt to influence your subordinates. This profile allows you to compare your scores to the scores of managers who already have completed the Influencing Your Subordinates profile. A high score means that you use the strategy more frequently than 70 percent of those who were surveyed previously. A low score means that you use the strategy less frequently than 30 percent of those who were surveyed.
- Column II scores describe how frequently you use the tactic as a second attempt to influence your subordinate when the subordinate RESISTS doing what you want.
Seven basic influence strategies
- Reason - is the strategy of attempting to influence your subordinates by relying on data and information to support your requests. It involves planning, preparation, and expertise on your part.
- Friendliness - is the strategy of attempting to influence your subordinates by causing them to think well of you.
- Bargaining - is attempting to influence your subordinates by means of negotiation and the exchange of benefits or favors.
- Assertiveness - is an attempt to influence your subordinates by means of your forceful manner.
- Coalition is the strategy of mobilizing other people in the organization to assist you in influencing your subordinates.
- Appeal to higher authority - As a strategy of influence relies on the chain of command—people higher up in the organization who have power over your subordinates.
- Sanctions - is the use of the power inherent in the organization to back up your requests to your subordinates
Directions
1. There are thirty-three statements in this scale. Each describes a diferent tactic that can be used to influence a subordinate.
2. For each tactic you are to give two answers:
- The first answer describes how frequently you use the tactic as a FIRST attempt to influence a subordinate. Try to respond in terms of your behavior with your subordinates in general. Place this answer in column I. Use the scale to interpret the numbers (see example below).
- The second answer describes how frequently you use the tactic as a second attempt to influence your subordinate when the subordinate RESISTS doing what you want. Place this answer in column II. Use the scale to interpret the numbers (see example below).
Sample Inventory Question
The response scale is as follows for both Column I and Column II:
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Almost Always | Frequently | Occasionally | Seldom | Never |
Influencing your Subordinates form
| How frequently do you use this tactic to influence a subordinate? | When you first try to influence the subordinate | If your subordinate resists doing what you want | ||||||||||
| 1. | I point out to my subordinate the benefits of doing what I want. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2. | I act very humble and polite while making my request. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 3. | I simply direct my subordinate to do what I want. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
Influencing your Manager form
| How frequently do you use this tactic to influence a subordinate? | When you first try to influence the subordinate | If your subordinate resists doing what you want | ||||||||||
| 1. | I repeatedly remind my manager of what I want. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2. | I act very humble and polite while making my request. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 3. | I remind my manager of how I have helped him or her in the past and imply that now I expect compliance with my request. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
Influencing your Co-worker form
| How frequently do you use this tactic to influence a co-worker? | When you first try to influence the co-worker | If your co-worker resists doing what you want | ||||||||||
| 1. | I point out to my co-worker that organizational rules require that he or she comply with my request. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2. | I act very humble and polite while making my request. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 3. | I remind my co-worker of how I have helped him or her in the past and imply that now I expect compliance with my request. | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
Multifactor
Leadership Questionnaire