Dear Friends,

So it’s already November. The days are shorter, the leaves are falling—and as a summer person, I’ll admit I’ve got nothing positive to say about either. If you enjoy this season, more power to you! For the rest of us, remember: it’s only six months until summer returns.

In this Fall newsletter, we’ve included an article on how IT must evolve—and how BRM plays a pivotal role in that transformation—along with links to valuable insights and upcoming classes to support your journey. Here’s a quick look at what’s inside:

🌟 Article: The Rise of the Business-Focused IT Organization: Why BRM Is the Engine of Modern Business Success

Many IT groups are under pressure to prove relevance and shift from order-takers to strategic partners. This article discusses why this shift is so critical and shows how BRM redefines IT’s role as a value-creator — not a cost center — especially as tech becomes embedded in every business function.

🎥 BRM Insights – Webinars, Presentations, and Artifacts

Explore a wealth of BRM resources designed to help you build, strengthen, and sustain your BRM program. From launching a new capability to demonstrating measurable business value, you’ll find webinars, presentations, and practical artifacts to guide every step of your journey. Visit here to access these insights and elevate your organization’s BRM success.

💡 The BRM Executive Briefing

Having trouble explaining BRM to management or shifting it out of the operational lane? Schedule one of our free Executive Briefings. These one-hour sessions are designed to help IT leaders and staff understand the power of BRM—why it’s needed, what it does (and doesn’t do), and how to position it for strategic impact. The goal is to dispel misconceptions about BRM and position it correctly, delivered by someone who has held an IT leadership position.

📢 Coming Soon – Two New Ways to Grow Your BRM Capabilities

An LMS, featuring a self-paced video version of the High-Performing BRM class, will be available in January 2026. It offers the same content, learning, and exercises as the live class — ideal for organizations that want to expand the High-Performing BRM class to others within their organization — and provides a flexible option for those unable to attend the full live session. It also works well for past participants who want to refresh their knowledge on one or more topics.

📅 Upcoming Classes

We have many High-Performing BRM and High-Performing Technology Professional Virtual classes scheduled. We have expanded this to include time-sensitive schedules worldwide. Check out what’s coming up and plan to join us!

I hope you find this issue insightful and inspiring. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to reach out!

Best,

Jeff Warren

President

Barkley Consulting Group

jwarren@barkleyconsultinggroup.com

The Rise of the Business-Focused IT Organization: Why BRM Is the Engine of Modern Business Success

For decades, IT has been the engine room of the enterprise — keeping systems running, networks secure, and data available. But in today’s business environment, that’s no longer enough. Technology now defines how organizations compete, deliver value, and engage with customers. The once-clear boundary between “the business” and “IT” has blurred, and survival increasingly depends on how effectively an organization integrates technology into its DNA.

The BRM Executive Briefing

Business Relationship Management (BRM) is often misunderstood—seen by some as just a liaison role rather than a strategic capability. That’s why we offer a no-cost BRM Executive Briefing designed for IT leadership, staff, and BRM teams to clarify the role’s purpose, value, and impact.

In just one hour, this session explores:

• Why BRM is essential to modern IT organizations
• What BRM does – and doesn’t do
• How BRMs drive results across the organization
• How BRM fits within IT and collaborates with business partners
• Ways to measure BRM success and maturity

Offered virtually or in person, this briefing helps IT organizations better understand, support, and leverage BRM for stronger business alignment and improved performance.

Coming Soon –

Two New Ways to Grow Your BRM Capabilities

We’re excited to share that two new LMS/self-paced classes are on the way:

🔹 The High-Performing BRM Class – empowers all BRMs – beginners and experienced BRMs – with the knowledge needed to make a real difference in their organization and be recognized as leading contributors to its success.

🔹 The High-Performing Technology Professional Class – professional development for IT leaders and staff who connect with business leaders and develop, design, or plan solutions that help their organization conduct business.

These LMS versions of the class cover the same content, learning, and exercises as the live sessions, providing the same meaningful results for participants at your own pace, and helping you apply what you learn right away.

Upcoming Class Dates

(Group sessions available upon request)

High-Performing BRM:

• December 1-4, 2025, 9:00 am – 2:30 pm ET
• March 3-6, 2026, 11:00 am – 4:30 pm ET
• June 16-19, 2026, 9:00 – 2:30 pm ET
• September 15-18, 2026, 11:00 am – 4:30 pm ET
• December 1-4, 2026, 9:00 am – 2:30 pm ET

High-Performing Technology Professional:

• February 2-5, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST (Virtual)
• April 6-9, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EST (Virtual)

Business Relationship Management Professional (BRMP) Certification:

• February 2-5, 2026, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm EST
• April 13-16, 2026, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm EST

Certified Business Relationship Manager (CBRM) Certification:

• December 1-5, 2025, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
• May 18-22, 2026 10:00 am – 5:00 pm EST

Your Inspiration for Fall

“Do not fear failure, but please be terrified of regret. Giving up is the birth of regret.”  

– Deshauna Barber