How can transparency improve conflict management in BRM?

Trust is the foundation of all successful relationships and is the top cause of failed ones. Trust is simple; be honest and reliable and do what you say you're going to do. Clarity in your goals, what you can and cannot commit to, and not having a hidden agenda also build trust because you are being transparent. Trust is earned over time and can be destroyed in a single conversation. Even if you can recover, I have found that things are never the same after a breach of trust. I liken it to a broken glass. You can pick up all the pieces and glue them all back together, but those cracks will always be there under the surface.

Transparency fosters trust by demonstrating openness and honesty in communication. In conflict management within a Business Relationship Management (BRM) context, being transparent about intentions, decisions, and actions helps stakeholders understand each other's perspectives, reducing suspicions and fostering a sense of reliability. Trust is essential for resolving conflicts effectively, as it encourages parties to engage in constructive dialogue and problem-solving rather than resorting to defensive or adversarial behaviors.

Two of the top BRM failure modes are role ambiguity and conflict. The BRM is typically entering an organization where other leaders "own the relationship". This myopic view of relationship management fails to recognize that relationships are not hierarchical, but rather a series of many to many relationships that you don't always see on an org chart. The clarity around the BRM's role helps service delivery partners understand the scope and topics vary due to the future-facing nature of the BRM's focus instead of a sprint, release, or annual focus of a service delivery manager.

Transparent communication clarifies expectations, responsibilities, and processes, reducing misunderstandings and ambiguity that often fuel conflicts. Clear communication of goals, strategies, and constraints provides a common understanding among stakeholders, minimizing the chances of conflicts arising from misinterpretations or hidden agendas. By eliminating ambiguity, transparency promotes a more conducive environment for addressing conflicts openly and collaboratively

Transparency facilitates collaboration by creating an environment where stakeholders feel comfortable sharing information, ideas, and concerns. When conflicts arise, transparent communication enables parties to openly discuss their perspectives, interests, and needs, leading to more productive negotiations and problem-solving. Moreover, transparency encourages stakeholders to seek mutually beneficial solutions rather than pursuing individual agendas, thus fostering a culture of cooperation and collaboration within the BRM framework.

Transparent processes and decision-making mechanisms promote accountability among stakeholders involved in conflict resolution. When actions and decisions are transparent, it becomes easier to attribute responsibility and hold individuals or groups accountable for their contributions to the conflict or its resolution. This accountability encourages stakeholders to act responsibly, adhere to agreements, and follow through on commitments, thereby minimizing the likelihood of recurring conflicts and promoting a culture of trust and reliability within the BRM ecosystem.

In a professional ecosystem transparency involves sharing the right information at the right time with the right stakeholders to enable positive business outcomes. Another aspect is sharing consistent information across different teams and levels. Conflicts arise when clients hear different version of the stories from different team members and that leads to loosing trust with the service provider. As a BRM, thus it is crucial to not look at the client relationship as a transaction, but treat it as an emotional connection where trust, transparency, active communication are like tools in your tool box. They help to establish a healthy relationship with your client.

transparency plays a crucial role in improving conflict management within BRM by building trust, reducing ambiguity, facilitating collaboration, and promoting accountability. By fostering open communication and visibility into processes and decisions, transparency creates a conducive environment for addressing conflicts constructively and maintaining healthy business relationships.

Without transparency, existing trust will erode quickly and challenging to rebuild over time. Wether we like what we hear or not, in fact, is not as important. However, transparency allows to create a starting point to investigate common ground and areas where disagreement is quite visible. By categorising, the must haves, should haves, and nice to haves, it is easier to be successful in longterm partnership relationships. It also allows to align organisations behind the risks and opportunities of certain relationships.