5 Common BRM Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Introducing Business Relationship Management (BRM) to an organization comes with its challenges. Some struggles are unique, but the same pitfalls often recur across industries and organizations. Whether the BRM team is brand new or has existed for years, here are five common challenges and the ways to overcome them.
How do we introduce a new BRM team into the organization?
Bringing a new BRM team into the company can be challenging if the groundwork hasn’t been laid out yet. For starters, each Business Relationship Manager should understand the BRM capability and role. Based on this foundation, it is important to establish a clear mandate for the team, and to communicate that mandate effectively to the rest of the organization.
Organizing a workshop with the BRM team is a good starting point. Use this opportunity to outline the team’s role and to discuss ways of addressing the diverse needs of various business functions. In addition, define stakeholder groups with the Provider organization, and make certain the mandates align with one another.
Clarify the Business Relationship Manager role through the BRM Professional course.
How do we make an existing BRM team more strategically focused?
Many existing BRM teams struggle to become strategically focused, and this challenge cannot be overcome by simply securing more strategic projects. Strategic focus requires BRMs to have a great situational awareness (comprehension of strategy, industry, economy, technology, etc.), next to a deep understanding of value. This involves thinking about value from the inception of an investment idea, all the way through to value realization and optimization.
Prepare your organization for more strategic thinking through the Value Management Workshop.
How do we transition the Provider organization from an “order taker” to strategic partner?
Often an existing BRM team would like to move the Provider from being a reactive order taker to more of a service provider––and ultimately the business’ strategic partner.
Strategic focus requires BRMs to have a great situational awareness (comprehension of strategy, industry, economy, technology, etc.), next to a deep understanding of value.
Achieving this state requires a focus on value, as well as the need to change organizational behavior. An order taker organization behaves very differently than a strategic partner, meaning the organization should first perform a behavior assessment to initiate change. Based on the results, a clear action plan can help change behaviors and transition the Provider organization.
Identify the right behaviors for change through the Behavior Assessment and Planning workshop. Illustrate these desired behaviors using a BRM Simulation.
How do we further improve our BRM capability?
Many BRM teams are challenged with planning BRM capability improvements. This requires knowing what makes sense for the organization, coupled with solid business relationship management expertise.
It all starts with understanding objectives. For example, several BRM teams once endeavored to become more strategic by changing their own skill sets. Unfortunately, they neglected to focus on clear management commitment for business relationship management. Their teams were dismantled as a result.
A roadmap discussion is a better way to improve the BRM capability. It requires clear objectives and a balanced set of activities that work together to help the team be more successful.
Define a roadmap for growth and development using the BRM Capability Improvement workshop.
How do we overcome low commitment from senior management?
Too many BRM teams struggle due to limited or nonexistent support from executive management. Unfortunately, a lot of these teams fail because executive management does not see the value of BRM.
Securing executive management support is critical to the team’s success. Help accomplish this by developing clear communication regarding the value of BRM. Once you communicate that value to senior management, measure it to demonstrate the benefits. Consider leveraging BRM consulting expertise for presenting executive overviews or executive management coaching. Once senior management understands the value of the role and capability, they will be more committed to the team’s success.
Raise executive management awareness and commitment to BRM through Executive Overviews and Executive Management Coaching.
Securing executive management support is critical to the team’s success.
Leverage this advice to help your organization overcome common challenges. Your company will benefit from a BRM team that hits the ground running and continues to add high value to the organization over the long-term.
Instrumental BRM is a consulting and education company that specializes in Business Relationship Management with offices in Calgary, AB, Canada and Seattle WA, USA. We have been involved in BRM Institute from the very beginning (first under the banner of Service Management Art). We offer BRM services that include the following: BRMP and CBRM certification, Value Management, BRM Simulation, BRM Capability assessment and coaching. Our focus is on delivering online and face-to-face consulting in North-America and Europe. We have partnered with other organizations to cover other areas of the world. Please contact us for more details.
Peter hi. Some good tips. You could also use the simulation to help create executive biy-in and commitment….AND to help gain provider buu-in to the BRM role.
Really good tips to set the trail blazing!