I love this blog series on communication by Dr. Gavin Manes of Avansic, who discusses the other side of communication in his latest post!

In the article (Listening: The Bass (and Base-) line for Success, available here) Gavin discusses the other side of communication: listening. Particularly in a field like legal technology, with its jargon and industry shorthand, fully understanding what others are saying is even more important. In fact, it’s said that this is one of the best ways to improve business skills across the board, not just in the legal field. So how can listening be improved? Why is it important in eDiscovery? And what are the actual benefits?

Active Listening

You might have heard of something called ‘active listening’ and although it’s a bit of a buzzword, there are substantial benefits to it. Here are the five steps, adapted for legal professionals:

• Listen to what the speaker is saying about their matter (or issue, if it’s a discussion with a vendor)
• Restate what was said
• Ask open questions
• Acknowledge any emotions
• Ask “what else?”

Clients, vendors, and lawyers have all been guilty of blazing through a few of these because we think we know what is going to be said. If a case follows a pattern we’ve seen before, it’s very easy to make it fit that box rather than acknowledging each case on its own. But this can mean missing crucial elements of intaking a new client, asking about productions from a vendor, or talking to another member of the litigation team in a strategy meeting.

So, why is active listening important in eDiscovery? And what is probably the biggest benefit from being a good active listener? Check out Gavin’s post here to find out about the other side of communication! It’s just one more click! I If you read this out loud, listen to what you’re saying! 😉

So, what do you think? What considerations do you have for better communication on eDiscovery projects? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclosure: Avansic is an Educational Partner and sponsor of eDiscovery Today

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.