As we look ahead to 2025, it’s clear that organizational success will increasingly hinge on one crucial capability: robust and strategic business relationship management (BRM). While BRM’s importance is widely recognized, many organizations still primarily see it as a way to maintain good relationships between departments. However, BRM is much more than that—it’s a means to an end. At its core, BRM is about creating a collaborative environment that drives tangible, impactful results.
Organizations must look critically at their BRM leadership capabilities to thrive in the coming year, making improvements where needed. With a strategic focus on building a mature BRM function, they can avoid facing operational challenges and frustrations within teams that can lead to decreased morale and diminished effectiveness. To rise above these challenges, organizations need to commit to BRM development. According to the 2024 report by the International Coaching Federation, there is evidence that coaching increased employee engagement by over 70%, and a global study conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the Association Resource Center reported an ROI of seven times the cost of engaging a coach. A BRM leadership coach has the added benefit of providing tailored support.
Building Lasting BRM Leadership
Creating a sustainable BRM capability takes time. It requires a strategic commitment and the right tools. For organizations with an existing BRM function, it is time to evaluate its maturity. Is it merely “keeping the peace” or genuinely driving collaboration toward meaningful results? Are the relationships cultivated by BRM yielding measurable value?
Lead the Pack workshops, like Leading with Impact and Leading with BRM, offer a solid foundation for BRM professionals, equipping them with skills to foster collaboration and demonstrate the impact of their efforts. However, workshops alone aren’t enough to build lasting BRM capability. For many organizations, this is where a BRM leadership coach comes in: someone who can provide the long-term support and insights necessary to drive real change.
Why a BRM Leadership Coach Makes a Difference
A BRM leadership coach, who typically works from outside the organization, will bring a fresh, expert perspective to solving an organization’s challenges, guiding leaders to develop a BRM leadership capability that does more than build bridges between departments—it creates overall worth and positive consequences. Coaches help BRM leaders see past their daily operations and focus on long-term, strategic collaborations that deliver tangible outcomes. They provide accountability, ensuring leaders stay on course and follow through on their plans.
Working with a coach also allows BRM leaders to identify and address blind spots that might go unnoticed. With expert guidance, BRM leaders can transform from being facilitators to drivers of success, implementing practices that sustain an environment of collaboration and keep the organization aligned toward shared goals.
Preparing for Success in 2025
As the new year approaches, organizations have a choice: they can either elevate their BRM capabilities or risk falling behind. By investing in BRM leadership, companies ensure that they’re building effective relationships and fostering a collaborative culture focused on impactful results. With BRM leaders positioned to drive collaboration, they’re ready to overcome obstacles, meet strategic objectives, and build a resilient organization that thrives amid change.
Attending workshops, contracting BRM coaches, and committing to continuous development will enable BRM leaders to be relationship managers and true value creators. As 2025 approaches, make BRM leadership development a priority. It’s the difference between an organization that merely survives and one that thrives in the new year.
Leadership Education, Training, Courses, Coaching and Consulting
Lead the Pack Consulting specializes in business relationship management (BRM) leadership development. Our years of experience in Leadership Management Education, Training, Courses, Coaching and Consulting help us support business relationship management teams and provide them with the leadership skills needed to overcome their challenges. We have provided leadership coaching to business relationship managers, leaders, and teams in a variety of organizations and industries. Since 2013, we have been a registered provider of business relationship management certification workshops and coaching.
Our coaches, Elka Schrijver and Peter Lijnse, have both won the prestigious Arnie Award from the Business Relationship Management (BRM) Institute for their work to embody, enhance, and promote business relationship management knowledge throughout the global BRM community. They have been actively involved in the BRM Institute since it was founded in 2013 and have been contributing authors for several components of the BRM Body of Knowledge and certification courses. They are currently writing a series of practical, user-friendly books about mastering business relationship management leadership skills.
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