Surprises can be fun: a surprise birthday party, finding $20 in your pocket, or coming home to freshly baked cookies. Those are the kind of surprises you look forward to.
In eDiscovery, however, surprises aren’t nearly as fun. The unexpected can quickly throw matters off track, introduce risk, and create delays. And when that happens, you need a project management team you can trust. But that trust shouldn’t be given freely. It must be earned, and it’s only earned when the same behaviors show up time and time again.
Trust takes shape in the small moments as well as the critical ones. It is the timely status update that prevents a deadline from slipping. It is the call that flags a risk before it grows into a problem. It is the quick escalation that keeps discovery on track when data issues surface at the eleventh hour. Over time, these actions build confidence that the team is actively protecting the interests of your organization.
When that level of trust exists, project management becomes more than simply completing tasks. It becomes a partnership that allows you and your team to focus on strategy, knowing the details are under control.
Core Behaviors That Build Confidence
Dependability
The first measure of a strong project management team is dependability. You must be able to trust that deadlines will be met, commitments honored, and projects kept on track even when unexpected issues appear. This reduces pressure on your team, giving them the space to focus on higher-level strategy instead of monitoring task completion.
Dependability shows its true value when things go wrong. Strong project managers take ownership of setbacks, move quickly to course correct, and communicate openly about the plan moving forward, providing assurance that when the stakes are high, they will stay focused on solutions rather than excuses.
Clear Communication
Dependability, however, cannot stand alone. Clear communication further strengthens the client-vendor partnership. You should never feel uncertain about the status of your matter or wonder whether tasks are being handled. Effective project managers establish a rhythm of clear updates that translate technical detail into plain language, flag risks before they grow, and highlight the decisions that need timely attention. Transparency creates confidence, and confidence builds trust.
Responsiveness
Responsiveness ties both of these qualities together. You should know that when you call, someone will answer, and the conversation will feel as seamless as speaking with colleagues inside your own organization. That level of accessibility creates assurance that outside support is aligned with your internal priorities.
It’s more than answering the phone or responding to emails quickly though. A responsive team knows how to act decisively to gather the right expertise and propose workable solutions when deadlines shift or unexpected data issues emerge, all while keeping you informed each step of the way. This decisiveness prevents small concerns from escalating into costly setbacks and reinforces confidence that the matter is being actively managed.
Together, these core behaviors form the foundation of trust. Each reinforces the others. Without dependability, communication loses credibility. Without good communication, responsiveness becomes fragmented. When they work together, however, a true partnership can begin to form.
Sustaining Trust Through Collaboration and Consistency
Collaboration That Produces Results
Once the fundamentals are in place, collaboration determines if that trust grows. Discovery involves many moving parts, from attorneys and technical specialists to service providers and outside counsel. Your project management team is the link that helps bring these groups together. When collaboration works, matters are able to move forward with ease. When it doesn’t, you are left to fill gaps in accountability.
Consistency Across Matters
Consistency from a project management team strengthens trust even further. One successful matter helps build optimism, but the real difference stands out when the same quality of service is delivered over time. When project managers regularly deliver predictable results, you can assign new matters without hesitation.
Recognizing Trust Before the Engagement Begins
Although building trust requires time, early interactions provide clear signals of what to expect from a project management team. During RFPs or initial conversations, you can get a glimpse into how a team will operate under pressure.
A team that provides thoughtful answers, communicates directly, and demonstrates accountability in early discussions is likely to carry those habits into live matters. By paying attention to response times and explanations provided, you can better predict how the project managers will integrate with your team.
Make Trust the Deciding Factor
Every organization has options when selecting eDiscovery partners. Technology can be compared, and pricing can be negotiated. Trust is harder to measure, yet it makes all the difference in the long run.
So, the next time you evaluate an eDiscovery partner, look beyond the tools and timelines. Ask yourself whether their teams’ actions give you confidence that they will answer the call, deliver on promises, and communicate clearly when it matters most. Because in eDiscovery, the last thing you want is a surprise.
Sara Coley
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Sara Coley is the Managing Director of Client Services at TCDI, where she has led client-focused operations since 2012. She brings extensive experience in project management, business development, and client strategy across industries including pharmaceutical, finance, insurance, construction, and retail. A certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Sara applies proven process improvement principles to deliver efficient, defensible solutions. Learn more about Sara.
