While emerging technologies can empower eDiscovery teams to make their resources work smarter and go further, they can also hinder productivity and information sharing if not adopted with the right principles in mind.
While it’s news to none that efficient and effective communication is critical to risk-averse eDiscovery, as with any process, the advent of “disruptive” tools, technologies and solutions can create just as many problems as it solves.
Strong communication is vital to avoiding those costly legal and regulatory pitfalls, achieving optimal operational efficiency, and ensuring that best practices remain embedded within your organisational culture for the long run.
Here are a few of our top tips for keeping team communication strong throughout any given eDiscovery procedure.
Tip 1: Unify tech and legal
As the nefarious ‘odd couple’ of the eDiscovery world, it is essential that steps are taken to keep all members of tech and legal on the same page.
The need to keep communication open and avoid the feelings of isolation caused by silos is even more pressing when it comes to this age-old eDiscovery challenge.
Ensure that communication is proactive, consistent, and that it works both ways. Both teams should also be encouraged to avoid speaking in legalise or IT jargon – in an operational sense, these are nothing but barriers to communication and productivity.
A perceived lack of effort or investment from either side can lead to damaging oversights, so team leaders and project managers must be proactive from the start. Begin by rewarding frequent and proactive communication from both camps, and aim to unify them in aid of a mutual goal.
Top-down senior support is invaluable when establishing a harmonious relationship here.
Tip 2: Don’t neglect verbal communication
While technology can streamline communication in the sense of making it faster and simpler, if these benefits come at the expense of poorer communication and knowledge gaps, you can quickly find yourself battling a false economy of efficiency gains.
Emails and instant messaging apps can be great for resolving small problems quickly, but these should never completely replace verbal communication.
The combination of reduced detail and responsiveness can mean that many problems can actually take longer to solve if written communication is favoured over verbal.
Written communication might help for those less urgent and simpler issues, but for any challenges with real depth and nuance, it pales in comparison to face-to-face conversation (or a Skype call for anyone working remotely).
