On a beautiful fall Sunday I sat down to watch my Patriots take the field when I was startled by a creature scurrying across the floor. My own curiosity and a screech from my wife encouraged me to identify the breach.

I had an opportunity last November to present to a standing-room-only crowd at ISC East. I was joined by two security industry veterans — Paul Boucherle and Bob Banerjee — and we tackled the subject of what the industry might look like in 10 years. No one really knows, but here is my take on the future of the security industry.

 I continue to be amazed with my role as a grandparent — it lights up my life. Recently I spent time outside on the porch, one-on-one with my grandson, deeply engaged in a game of checkers. Over the hour we played and talked about a lot of things. When I would say something, he would persistently ask, “Why?” Sometimes I would answer why only to be asked again — “Why?” 

Collaboration is critical, and will yield the best return. Be sure to document your findings, create a formal action plan with ownership and metrics for measurement.

Our CIO is a member of Mensa, which means his IQ is in the top 2 percent of the population. There are approximately 110,000 documented Mensa members in the world, so when he talks, we listen. He is always stretching our minds.

  In 2011, I attended my company’s leadership meeting to plan for 2012. Our chief intelligent officer (CIO) arrived and told us what every business owner would love to hear, “I believe I can grow revenue 30 percent without hiring anybody.” People sat up in their chairs, a few choked on their coffee, but everybody had the same look on their face and you could tell they were thinking, “tell us more.”

As a practicing “facilitator of excellence” and as a workshop facilitator, I have been exposed to hundreds of stories related to partnerships. The examples highlight partnerships that have worked very well and stood the test of time, but just as many of them have broken up like a nasty divorce.

Five years ago, I sat next to an interesting guy on a plane and we peacefully shared the same armrest. Through our conversation, I learned that he started a business a few years prior and worked in an industry complementary to mine.