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Convergence Channel PREVAILING ON THE INTEGRATION BATTLEFIELD by Paul Boucherle Paul Boucherle, Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Certified Sherpa Coach (CSC), is principal of Canfield, Ohio-based Matterhorn Consulting (www.matterhornconsulting.com). He has more than 30 years of diverse security and safety industry experience and can be contacted at paul@matterhornconsulting.com. paul@matterhornconsulting.com With many providers offering similar solutions nowadays, distinguishing your business from competitors demands a level of superior service only attainable when everyone is unified and moving in the same direction. This month, discover how to foster teamwork, effectively lead and differentiate your firm. This month's topic was inspired by the passing of Alan C. Bowman, an electrical engineer, Six Sigma black belt and this columnist's close friend and fellow U.S. Marine. As in the military, survival in a converged world requires active learning and pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone. I write this column with a heavy heart. At 17 years old I entered the U.S. Marine Corps with my high school locker partner and standout football player on the "buddy" program. His name was Alan C. Bowman and he was a hell of a marine, electrical engineer, and Six Sigma black belt. When we entered the gates of Parris Island, S.C., Alan was 6-foot, 4-inches tall and 250 pounds. I was but 5-6, 125 pounds. Basically we were Mutt and Jeff (for those under 50, it was a famous cartoon strip; oh, just Google it!). We went through boot camp, infantry training and radar school together, and served in Viet Nam. Alan passed away in September and I had the honor of sending him off to his next duty station. How does this backstory relate to "lessons learned" in today's converged security market? Whether you work at a large or small company, your chance to distinguish yourself in a converged systems market is up to you. Your customers need you to have their backs when they migrate to newer network- centric physical security solutions. For many this is a scary adventure, just like Parris Island was in 1970. You will have to commit to learning new skills and getting out of your comfort zone. Active learning and pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone ensures your survival in a converged world. Who does this apply to in your organization? In my opinion, it applies to your entire team and, especially, positions of leadership. BALANCING TEAMWORK & LEADERSHIP Your sales team is often targeted by your suppliers to push their 20 / SECURITYSALES.COM / NOVEMBER 2012 products into the market. However, without the design, project management, installation and service teams all onboard at the same time … well good luck with your mission! Teamwork is a fundamental competitive advantage in the Marines. T is doesn't mean that there isn't some friction, personality confl icts, diff erences of opinion and egos involved. T ere is. T ey manifest themselves during the planning, preparation and training stages. However, those issues take a backseat when accomplishing the mission at stake. T at takes leadership. Try to keep your team focused on the mission, not the drama encountered along the way. You must focus on the "what" and not the "how" because that is their job to fi gure out as a team. Sounds interesting, but how does this happen? By combining your diff erent teams in common workshops, you can start breaking down traditional communication barriers in new and interesting ways. When consulting with a business, I often fi nd misconceptions, old perceptions, real and imaginary wounds, and plenty of attitudes to go around. T e silos created by business organizations tend to fuel rather than extinguish intradepartmental fi res. T is relates to the idea of technology convergence because unlike conventional products and services you have off ered in the past, network- centric and software-specifi c solutions are complicated, and call for much greater teamwork. T is requires everyone to develop new skillsets. T is results in a trained and disciplined sales force that doesn't oversell "potential" market feature sets. It's essential to PHOTOGRAPHY ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/LIFEJOURNEYS