Stakeholder Management & Influence

The defining skill of matrixed, cross-functional work: getting things done through people you don't control. This assessment measures how accurately you read a stakeholder landscape, choose an influence move the evidence says actually works, and hold competing interests together when they collide. Items are realistic dilemmas where every option is something a capable professional might do — the best depends on reading power, legitimacy, interest and timing correctly. Scoring is keyed to the published evidence on influence-tactic effectiveness (Yukl; Higgins, Judge & Ferris), stakeholder salience (Mitchell, Agle & Wood), influence without authority (Cohen & Bradford), brokerage (Burt), bases of power (French & Raven) and the power-interest engagement grid (Mendelow), not on the author's intuition. Behavioural-tendency framing (“most likely to do”) and equally-credible, misconception-anchored options make it resistant to guessing and faking. A stretch band raises the stakes to executive and board-level influence. Administration time: 24–32 minutes.