FAQs

Diamond Power Assessments

Certification FAQs

Diamond Power Index® FAQs

Diamond Power Audit™ FAQs

Certification

How do I become certified?
You can become certified to administer the Diamond Power Index® with your clients or in your organization by attending a three-day Power Intelligence® Certification seminar and debriefing your first assessment with a DPI trainer. You can also bring us onsite to your organization and have us conduct a certification for your staff.
Why is certification necessary?
Our assessment requires certification to assure that it is administered with the highest degree of professionalism and knowledge, used in the proper way with clients, and adhering to best practices for 360° assessments.
What a the benefit of certification?s

Certification trains you in all aspects of administering the Diamond Power Index®: preparing leaders and raters to take the assessment, understanding power as a construct, and its connection to leadership and organizational culture, interpreting results and scores, coaching and creating pathways of development for leaders.

Certification also gives you access to training materials, reports, and other tools for bringing Power Intelligence® into your organization or coaching practice. Once certified, you are eligible for complementary consulting and support for administering the assessment system and interpreting reports. You also are qualified to attend advanced trainings, and can re-attend the basic certification course, free of charge, anywhere, and at any time, to freshen up your skills.

What is Module 1? Why can it be taken separately?

Module 1 is an Introduction to Power Intelligence® for those who want to learn how to coach leaders on their use of power but may not need training in the assessment. It covers the background theory and framework of Power Intelligence® and introduces the seven competencies for effective use of power in a leadership role. It does not include instruction on administering the assessment or interpreting reports, nor does it lead to certification.

If I am enrolled in Module 1, can I change my mind during the course and stay for the whole certification?

Yes. If you attend Module 1 and decide you’d like to stay for the full certification, you can simply pay the difference and continue with that seminar or attend one later in the year at another location.

What is included in the cost for the certification?
Included in the cost of certification are:

  • Three days of training with the founder and developer of the Diamond Power Index® and Power Intelligence® and Julie Diamond, Ph.D.
  • A limited number of participants to ensure depth of learning and individual attention
  • A copy of Power Intelligence® and Diamond Power Index® guides and technical manuals
  • One free assessment to practice interpreting results

Participants are responsible for their own travel and lodging.

Does my certification expire?

Certification does not expire provided you complete one of the following: administer the Diamond Power Index® assessment a minimum of 25 times within 5-years.

Regardless of when or where your original certification took place, we recommend you visit the Diamond Leadership website periodically to see if there are any updates or new materials to enhance your use of the assessment.

Are there prerequisites?
There is no pre-work necessary before attending the course. To become certified, participants have to have some degree of experience in coaching, education, Human Resources, psychology, or related field.
What does the certification course cover?
The training consists of the following four segments, or modules, delivered over 3 days

Module 1. Power Intelligence®: A Guide to Leading with Power (can be taken on its own as a workshop, without attending the full certification)

This segment introduces the special problem of power. What are the determinants of power use and misuse? What makes using power fraught with difficulty, and what phenomena lead to derailment?

The concept and methods underlying Power Intelligence® are introduced, including the seven domains of power behaviors, and how they appear in both positive and problematic ways. A “power audit” for leaders and organizations and the competencies for using power effectively will be introduced.

Module 2. Assessing and Coaching For Power: Administering the Diamond Power Index®

Introducing the Diamond Power Index® assessment. How to assess power-relevant characteristics, and how to coach leaders in each area. Best practices for preparing and administering the assessment to leaders, teams, and their organizations. Description of the assessment process: surveys and components.

Module 3. The Power Profile®: Interpreting Results, Coaching for Development

Understanding assessment scores and interpreting results. What does each scale measure, and what do high and low scores mean? How do scores relate to leadership behaviors, and what do unusual (and problematic) scores look like? Interpreting results and coaching leaders. The art of interpretation, patterns, constellations, and integrating Power Perspective, Personal Power and Developmental Drive. Tailoring development plans to coachable as well as less coachable leaders.

Module 4. Using Power Intelligence® in Your Organization and Coaching Practice

Delivering the Diamond Power Index® and Power Intelligence® training in your business—for internal and external coaches and consultants. Technical and administrative aspects of enrolling people. How to engage organizations around the topic of power. Coaching and training tips for using Power Intelligence® in your organization, and building Power Intelligence® into your business model.

What are the limits of certification?
Certification enables you to apply the tool within your organization, and use the materials to educate and engage others on the topic of power. While you are allowed to use the materials and tools in your practice and in your organization to educate and train others, certification does not allow you to certify others in the use of the assessment or tools.

As a certified user, you are responsible for the proper use of the tool and protection of our copyrights and trademarks. Certification does not grant permission to reproduce in any form, modify, or distribute our products for commercial use.

Can I pay for the certification in installments?

Yes. You may pay for certification in 3 installments, with a minimum deposit paid. Please write to info@diamondleadership.com if you would like to create an installment plan.

Where are the certification courses held?

Certification seminars are offered throughout the year in a variety of locations. See https://diamondleadership.com/registration/ for a schedule of upcoming courses and locations.

What if I need to cancel?

Tuition is refundable with a cancellation fee, based on when the cancellation happens:

  • 30 business days or more prior to the course: Full refund will be given, less a $50 cancellation fee.
  • 29-5 business days prior to the course: $200 cancellation fee
  • Less than 5 business days from the start of the course: $300 cancellation fee

No refunds are given to participants who do not attend the session without any prior communication

I am interested in becoming certified. What are the ongoing costs of administering the DPI and/or for maintaining certification?

Once you are certified, there are no additional costs for maintaining your certification, provided you use the instrument a minimum of 25 times in a 5-year period.

The DPI prices vary by region and by volume. We also provide governmental and public sector rates. Please contact us for prices for your region.

Do you offer special rates for organizations?

We offer a 20% discount per person for more than one person attending from an organization. If you would like to certify your entire staff, please contact us to arrange an in-house certification for your organization.

Do you offer Continuing Education Credits via the International Coach Federation?

Yes, we do. Upon completion of the certification, you will receive a letter of completion with the number and types of credits accrued.

Continuing Coach Education

Certification in Power Intelligence® is approved for Continuing Coach Education credits via the International Coach Federation.

The Diamond Power Index®

What is the difference between the Diamond Power Index® and other leadership assessments?

The Diamond Power Index® specifically focuses on the leader’s impact—how they use their power and authority in the service of their roles. The DPI is unique in four ways:

  1. By evaluating use of power, it focuses on impact
    The DPI measures the impact of the leader’s behavior. This approach provides unique insights the impression they are making, and how effectively and positively their behavior impacts their team, their co-workers, and the organizational culture. 

  2. It measures observable behavior
    The leadership competencies that most 360s gather include valuable attributes such as “strategic thinking,” “good communicator,” “team player,” yet these are often subject to interpretation. What I consider good communication you might find confusing.

    The DPI prioritizes the assessment of observable, tangible behaviors over abstract attributes. Not only does this provide more accurate data, but it also gives the leader direct insight into the impression they make on others. 

  1. It articulates a clear and actionable plan for greater influence and business results
    Leaders receive assessment results in a comprehensive 45+ page Power Profile presentation which explains each section in detail, the scales and their connection to leadership, their score and an in-depth interpretation of results. Each report contains individualized feedback, comprehensive suggestions for improvement, and a coaching guide and workbook for designing a path for continued development. 

  2. It includes insight into the leader’s developmental drive
    The assessment includes coaching-relevant traits relating to self-awareness, desire for self-improvement, and coaching readiness. This gives the coach and the leader greater insight into their motivation, capacity for growth and change, and state of readiness to embark on a change initiative.
Are the data you collect confidential?

Diamond Leadership treats all client data with utmost care to ensure the privacy of all stakeholders. Contact lists including leader and rater information are treated securely, used only for the purpose of sending assessment invites, and never shared. Beyond sending assessment and system-related messages, Diamond Leadership will never contact your client or their raters.

Rater confidentiality is also a paramount concern. Answers provided by individual raters will never be revealed to the leaders who are rated. Before results are computed and feedback is provided in the form of reports, ratings from several raters are aggregated to ensure confidentiality. This also ensures that the feedback given using the Diamond Power Index® is candid and useful for developmental purposes.

Your clients will receive the Power Profile® Leader Report that presents summary analyses of their self-assessment and rating results. The report is intended for use by the client (leader) only. It may be shared with the organization to help the participant interpret and make best use of the results for developmental purposes, but this should be discussed with the client beforehand. It is your responsibility to determine and follow the organization’s internal standards relating to privacy and confidentiality when accessing and sharing assessment results.

How secure are the data you collect?

The Diamond Power Index® is administered following strict data security and privacy procedures, and Diamond Leadership complies with EU GDPR (Regulation [EU] 2016/679). Diamond Leadership and its IT service provider use state-of-the-art technology and hardware to ensure the integrity of the information collected with and hosted within the assessment platform.

Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption is used for all transmitted data. Data centers are SSAE-16 SOC II certified. All data at rest are encrypted. Data center personnel have no authorization to access data or the underlying software environment (confirmed by independent SSAE-16 SOC audits). Finally, the DPI platform IT provider is FedRAMP authorized and deploys the general requirements set forth by the FISMA Act of 2002 and meets or exceeds the minimum requirements as outlined in FIPS Publication 200. Users who have additional questions relating to data security and protection should contact Diamond Leadership for further information.

What is the difference between the types of reports?

The Power Profile® Leader Report is a 40+ page report intended for the Leader’s use. It combines results from the leader’s self-assessment and feedback from colleagues and other stakeholders into a comprehensive summary, focused on the leader’s development. This is the default report generated for assessees, and if you purchase this report you (as coach or HR) will also get access to this report. You can click here to see a sample Leader Report.

The Power Profile® Coaching Report is a 60+ page report that includes the leader’s results, along with additional interpretation and analysis for the coach, HR, or OD/LD user, as well as a step-by-step guide for working with the leader on their results. If you order the Coaching Report for your own use, the assessee will automatically receive the Leader Report without an additional fee. You can click here to see a sample Coaching Report.

If you are assessing a group of leaders and would like to request a Power Profile® Group Report, please let us know.

Is the DPI available in other languages?

The Diamond Power Index is currently available in Spanish as well as English.

What level of English language proficiency is required?

The English language version of the DPI can also be used with non-native speakers. Our research show that there are no notable differences in results between native and non-native speakers. However, it is recommended to ensure that both leaders and raters who complete the respective portion of the DPI can read English at a U.S. high school level or equivalent and understand English pertinent to professional needs.

How long does the assessment take to complete?

Average completion time for the leader’s self-assessment is less than 15 minutes, and the majority of leaders complete the assessment in less than 30 minutes, even when taking short breaks.

Average completion time for raters is about 25 minutes, and the majority of raters complete the assessment in less than 45 minutes, including breaks.

Diamond Power Audit

Why should I use the Diamond Power Audit™ (DPA) to measure culture in my organization?
The DPA enables organizations to gauge the health of their workplace culture. It assesses behaviors that positively impact the culture and identifies those in need of improvement. The DPA indicates how well power is used by managers and coworkers, a factor which our research has shown to influence outcomes such as psychological safety, trust and teamwork, engagement, and employees’ experience of equity and inclusion. Results from the DPA are benchmarked by industry and can be further analyzed by demographic variables that are relevant to the organization.
How can this survey help my organization change our culture for the better?
The DPA not only provides insights into employees’ experiences of workplace culture but also pinpoints specific behaviors that can be improved and provides best practice interventions and resources that the company can implement to improve scores.
How were the questions in the Diamond Power Audit™ developed?
The DPA measures organizational behaviors and practices that our research has identified as particularly relevant to an engaged workforce and healthy workplace culture. In developing survey questions, Diamond Leadership relied on several decades of consulting and coaching experience to identify questions that would best capture these practices. A large pool of experimental items was tested with thousands of respondents from hundreds of organizations in order to refine and calibrate the final DPA survey using state of the art psychometric techniques. The result is a reliable and valid tool that offers solid benchmarks for the most relevant indicators of a healthy workplace culture.
How long is the Diamond Power Audit™ survey?
The DPA includes 30 questions, and most respondents complete it in less than 5 minutes.
What types of benchmarks are available for the Diamond Power Audit™ to help us compare our organization?
Your DPA survey results will include three different benchmarks: (1) A comparison in relation to Diamond Leadership’s overall database, which includes responses from thousands of individuals in hundreds of organizations across different industries. (2) A comparison to a suitable industry benchmark (e.g., financial services, healthcare, retail, transportation). Both benchmarks are provided in a percentile metric, so you know exactly where your organization stands. (3) In addition, if your organization chooses to administer the DPA more than once (for example, before and after an intervention or change effort), you will see change scores that show the organization’s progress over time.
What does the Diamond Power Audit™ Measure?
The DPA assesses how power is used in the organization. Power is an important but often neglected aspect of organizational culture. While positional authority is the most obvious expression of power, power is exerted through many different means and manifests itself in a variety of ways. An unhealthy use – or abuse – of power can have drastic consequences for employee engagement and well-being and thus organizational productivity.

The DPA measures power use along 7 dimensions, assessing whether the organization’s culture is perceived to be approachable, empowering, respectful, conflict competent, diplomatic, fair, and judicious.

How does the Diamond Power Audit™ differ from an employee engagement survey?
Engagement is both an outcome and predictor of a healthy workplace culture. Most employee engagement surveys focus exclusively on the ‘positive.’ As a result, they often fail to identify the factors that contribute to employee disengagement. The DPA measures both behaviors that contribute to the health of an organization’s culture and helps identify areas of concerns. It also offers specific interventions and resources for improving the workplace culture, and hence, improving engagement.
Why do some of the questions in the Diamond Power Audit™ ask about negative behaviors?
To effect meaningful improvements in workplace culture, organizations need to know which aspects negatively impact employees’ experience. The DPA assesses the effective use of power by coworkers and management, and thus includes some questions that relate to incivility, intimidation, and perceived discrimination. While these questions may seem unfamiliar to some, they focus on the kinds of behavior that most negatively impact organizational culture and employee well-being.
How do respondents access the Diamond Power Audit™ survey? (What is the difference between managed and self-managed administrations?)

There are two options for distributing the DPA:

Self-managed: For small groups (fewer than 500), we recommend the self-managed approach. Your organization receives a static link/URL, and distributes it (e.g., via email or intranet) to potential respondents. You manage the date, content, and frequency of messages and reminders). This is a simple and cost-effective way to use the DPA.

Managed: For larger groups, Diamond Leadership offers an entirely customized and managed service. Your organization provides email addresses of potential respondents, and we manage all communication with participants. This approach offers several advantages, including automated reminders (to non-responders) and generally higher response rates. Of course, you can specify and customize the content and timing of messages.

Both approaches include custom branding of the survey website with your organization’s logo and name.

How many respondents should our organization ask to complete the survey?

The DPA can be used in organizations of any size. When inviting respondents, the primary consideration should be whether the group is representative of your organization so that results will provide the insights you are looking for.

In terms of sample size, to get results that can be reliably compared to our benchmarks, you should aim to have a minimum of 100 completed responses. Of course, not everyone who is invited will end up completing the survey. Response rates differ by organization as well as based on how respondents are invited and encouraged to participate (see below). If you are looking to sample only a portion of your organization’s members, we recommend you invite about twice the number of individuals as your desired sample size.

However, most of our clients deploy the DPA with their entire workforce to get a comprehensive picture of their culture. In general, the more people you invite, the better. This is especially true if you are looking for in-depth insights (e.g., how do individuals from different demographic groups experience our culture)?

How do I ensure a high participation rate for the survey?

High participation rates for surveys depend greatly on how the survey effort is communicated and publicized within the organization. Respondents should be informed well in advance of the survey, and made aware of its purpose and importance, including information about anonymity and confidentiality, how results will be used, and the potential benefits of the survey to employees. You can download our guide, Getting High Response Rates With the DPA. Some best practices include:

  • Having the organization’s leadership communicate to employees the need and purpose for the survey
  • Ensuring respondent anonymity and confidentiality
  • Providing contact information for questions in the invitation
  • Sending several reminders after the first notice has gone out
  • Thanking people for participating, after the close of the survey
  • Communicating the results to the respondents, including information on how the organization will follow up on results.
What is the recommended timeframe for administering the Diamond Power Audit™?

Every organization is different, including when it comes to survey culture. We have seen successful survey efforts (with >90% response rates) in time periods as short as one week. However, for most organizations we recommend a timeframe of two weeks for survey administration.

How do I specify the survey launch date and time? Can I launch the survey at a different time for different groups of employees?

For self-managed administrations (see above), you can launch the survey at different times for different groups of respondents by sending out invitations yourself. For managed administrations, Diamond Leadership also offers this service if your contact lists include the relevant information. Please contact us for more details and help planning your managed survey deployment.

How long does it take to receive reports after the survey has been completed?
DPA reports are available 48 hours after your survey close date.
Do you offer any resources to help leaders and managers understand what our organization’s results mean?

Along with the DPA report which offers a detailed description of the scales and how to understand scores, there are also two accompanying guides: DPA Guide to Improving Workplace Culture and How to Share DPA Results, which offers a step-by-guide on how to make the most of the DPA by sharing the results with the organization.

Is participation voluntary for employees?
Yes, to obtain meaningful results, participation in the DPA should be voluntary and participation confidential (see below). However, employees should be carefully informed about the purpose and importance of the survey, how results will serve to improve workplace culture, and how confidentiality and anonymity are assured. Participation rates tend to be better when participants know that their feedback is treated confidentially and responsibly.
Can managers or HR see the answers from individual employees?
No. To ensure frank and useful feedback, individual responses are never disclosed to managers or HR. However, for managed administrations (see above), we offer the option to break results down for different groups within the organization if group sizes are large enough to ensure anonymity.
How confidential and secure are the data collected?

Responses on the DPA are always confidential and care is taken that they cannot be linked with identifying information. If you choose to opt for the managed option (see above), contact information is collected only to send invitations and reminders, but is discarded after survey completion. Diamond Leadership cannot provide information on how specific respondents answered individual questions or parts of the survey.

We do collect basic demographic information on respondents (e.g., gender, age, position type) to provide useful breakdowns of results to clients. However, information will only be presented if a large enough number of individuals (5 or more) responded from a respective group.

The DPA is administered following strict data security procedures and using state-of-the-art technology and hardware to ensure the integrity of the information collected. Participants’ responses are hosted on secure servers located in datacenters in Germany. Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption is used for all transmitted data. All servers are owned directly (not leased) by the online platform provider, as are firewall and router hardware/software. Data centers are SSAE-16 SOC II certified. Data center personnel have no authorization to access data or the underlying software environment (confirmed by independent SSAE-16 SOC audits). All data at rest are encrypted. Finally, the platform provider deploys the general requirements set forth by the FISMA Act of 2002 and meets or exceeds the minimum requirements as outlined in FIPS Publication 200. Users who have specific questions relating to data security and protection should contact Diamond Leadership for further information.