BRM is a Capability, Not Just a Role

Too often, organizations treat BRM like a checkbox. They hire one person and assume alignment, trust, and value realization are covered. But BRM was never meant to live in a silo. It’s not a role to fill — it’s a capability to build.

“We already have a BRM.”

I’ve heard this countless times — as if hiring one person somehow checks the box for strategic alignment, stakeholder trust, and value realization.

The truth is: BRM is not a role to fill. It’s a capability to cultivate.

And until organizations shift their thinking, they’ll continue to miss out on the full potential of what Business Relationship Management is designed to do — and worse, they confine BRMs to reactive, low-value roles as tactical intermediaries — minimizing their ability to drive impact or influence outcomes.

Signs You’re Treating BRM Like a Role — Not a Capability

• BRMs are brought in after decisions are made
• The business sees BRMs as project managers or service desks
• Success is measured by ticket closures instead of strategic alignment
• No one else in the org is empowered to think like a BRM

If that sounds familiar, you don’t have BRM capability. You have a title.

Think of it this way:

You wouldn’t build your organization’s financial literacy around one accountant.
So why treat strategic alignment as one BRM’s responsibility?

Like financial health, BRM needs to be an embedded, shared organizational discipline — not isolated in a single individual.

BRM as a Capability: What Does That Actually Mean?

A capability isn’t just a job description — it’s a repeatable, scalable organizational tool.

When BRM is approached as a capability:

• Strategic thinking is embedded in how departments plan and prioritize
• Value mapping is normalized, not a quarterly scramble
• Trust becomes systemic, not dependent on one charismatic BRM

It means the organization has institutionalized the ability to:

• Align technology investments with business outcomes
• Facilitate meaningful cross-functional conversations
• Govern intake, prioritization, and delivery with clarity and intent

And that doesn’t happen because you hired a rockstar BRM. It happens because you built the systems, expectations, and leadership behaviors that support it.

What Does Capability-Based BRM Look Like?

• Shared Language: Everyone knows how to speak in terms of outcomes, capabilities, and priorities
• Distributed Ownership: Functional leaders and IT teams are co-accountable for value delivery
• Embedded Practices: Intake, prioritization, and value realization are guided by a shared framework
• Elevated BRMs: Instead of being translators, they’re strategic enablers who coach others to think relationally and systemically

In other words: the BRM team isn’t the only one doing BRM work — they’re building the organization’s capacity to do it well.

Ask yourself:

• Are BRMs part of your strategic planning cycle?
• Can your business leaders articulate the value of the BRM function?
• Is the BRM mindset embedded beyond the BRM team?

If the answer to any of these is “no” or “not really,” you’re likely still operating in a role-based model — not a capability-driven one.

Getting There Takes Intentional Design

You don’t roll out a BRM capability overnight. But here’s where many start:

• Secure Executive Sponsorship – Model and reinforce strategic partnership from the top
• Align BRM with Governance – Integrate BRM into planning, intake, and roadmap processes
• Use Maturity Models to Evolve – Assess and grow capability using BRM Institute frameworks
• Shift the Mindset – Position BRMs as strategic enablers, not tactical responders

Bottom Line – If your BRM team is doing all the heavy lifting alone, it’s time to reframe: BRM isn’t the work of a few. It’s a capability your whole organization needs to own.

If you’re looking to truly unlock value across your organization, start thinking beyond roles.

Because when BRM is treated as a capability — not just a title — you stop relying on individuals to “fix the disconnect,” and start building an organization where connection is part of how you operate.

Having a BRM isn’t enough. Building BRM capability is how you scale trust, alignment, and value.

What’s Next: Where Mission Meets Technology

Building BRM as a capability transforms organizations — but capability doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Context matters. In the public sector, success isn’t measured in profit margins but in trust, equity, and community outcomes.

In the next article, Where Mission Meets Technology: The Quiet Power of Public Sector BRMs, we’ll explore how BRMs turn civic mission into motion under resource constraints, political shifts, and high public scrutiny.

As a senior Business Relationship Manager and IT Transformation Leader, I bring over a decade of experience aligning business goals with technology strategies to deliver measurable results.

At Resultant, I’ve led strategic partnerships across municipal government, driving $30M+ in technology transformation, improving project closure rates by 21.6%, and expanding the IT portfolio by 30%. I specialize in connecting technical teams with business stakeholders, translating objectives into actionable roadmaps that generate real ROI.

Whether executing full-lifecycle project delivery, leading adoption strategy, or building governance models, I help organizations unlock the full value of their IT investments. Grounded in both Agile and Waterfall methodologies, I tailor delivery approaches to support both operational needs and strategic goals.

I’m energized by opportunities that blend transformation strategy, executive alignment, and stakeholder engagement. Let’s connect if you’re looking to drive meaningful impact through IT-business partnership.