There are so many reasons I love working with military spouses and I thought this week, Military Spouse Appreciation Week, would be a good time to put those reasons to paper.  In addition to being experienced and intelligent, there are some pretty great soft skills milspouses bring to the table that I have come to rely on for our teams. Below are 10 of my favorite reasons to work with milspouses.

#1  – They are great team players.

Our milspouses are very vocal and encouraging in our team chats and meetings- helping other reviewers, asking good questions and frequently bringing key issues to light.  Perhaps because they move so often and always have to actively maintain relationships by reaching out and keeping in touch, this skill translates to very good team players.

#2 – They are really good at working autonomously on tasks.

Whether it’s getting through a batch efficiently or running targeted QC searches, I have found milspouses take direction well and run with tasks given to them, perhaps because of the next skill.

#3 – They are excellent multi-taskers.

I’ve learned over the years that milspouses juggle a lot of things in their lives simultaneously (shifting schedules, deployments, frequent moves, community membership, etc.) and have to be good at shifting gears in the blink of an eye and rolling with the punches.  This is such an important skill to have when part of a document review team.  One morning I may need them to do 1st level review, then shift to QC, then run analysis and reporting for me and then hop back in for 2nd Pass or Priv Review.  Having the skill to shift focus multiple times during the day has been a boon for our clients.

#4 – They are great at team maintenance.

The MSMR team, specifically, has been great about ensuring other team members feel supported.  They post frequently to the team chat rooms to build rapport, they stay aligned with the rest of the group through asking substantive questions often and they offer guidance whenever needed.  Showing interest, team engagement and sharing subject matter expertise to others is one of the core soft skills we have come to rely upon with this team.

#5 – They have a keen eye for subtext.

People aren’t always able to say what they mean in emails and sometimes they actively try to communicate thoughts and ideas without actually saying the words.  This is a common struggle when reviewing documents in a litigation – trying to discern what people are saying when sometimes they aren’t actually saying it or when they are talking in code.  Milspouses are very accustomed to this – they often have to figure out what their spouses are saying with bad Skype connections, spotty reception or sometimes just when their spouse wants to say something personal but is in a room full of other people so they get messages across through inference or the subtly of a well-crafted sentence.  It’s a very special skill that we’ve found incredibly helpful in spotting issues or bad acts in litigation

#6 – They are super adaptable and flexible.

Because they have to be.  Move with 2 weeks’ notice? Sure.  Step in as head of household for 9 months? No problem.  Have your spouse away during the birth of your child or have deployment extended?  Ok, I can handle that.  Life, I’m told, is constantly changing for milspouses and they have to be flexible to survive.  This skill comes in handy as the scope and substantive guidance of document reviews changes throughout the course of a project and while this can be a challenge for non-milspouse reviewers, we’ve found the milspouses just roll with it and get it done.

#7 – Leadership comes naturally.

This was such a nice surprise for us at TCDI. As Review Managers and Team Leads get overwhelmed in the daily course of a day, we have found the milspouses eager to step in and lend a hand.  From running reports or performing high level QC to providing expert insight and summaries of documents, the milspouses have stepped up and excelled at these leadership tasks.

#8 – They are reliable and take ownership.

I think this one comes from having to be responsible for so many things in their personal lives.  We have found that milspouses show a great deal of engagement and take pride in everything they do.  Through their teamwork, team maintenance, multi-tasking and taking on leadership tasks, we have found great quality exists in the work and outcomes of this team.

#9 – They have a deep understanding of data security and privacy.

The military is secretive and milspouses are privy to a lot of sensitive information through their spouses and proximity to, or life on, base. Information security is just a way of life and this skill translates beautifully to document review.  In addition to signing NDAs and confidentiality agreements, we know that the MSMR team is super focused on our clients’ data security.

#10 – They have good senses of humor.

Document review is hard and can be monotonous.  In order to be a good team player, you have to be able to find time for the fun too.  Staying positive and having good comradery with your fellow teammates is the difference between a good review and a great TCDI review.  You have to be able to laugh and get others laughing too.  This is a common soft skill milspouses have because of every reason I listed above here.  From what our milspouses tell us, military life is hard and milspouses have to be able to laugh at some of the things that go on in their lives, otherwise they will pull their hair out.  People work better with positive people and people they want to work with and we have found that we all want to work with the milspouses. This makes for a great and strong team dynamic.

Above are just 10 of the reasons why TCDI and our clients love working with our MSMR team.  The milspouses we work with are smart, strong, adaptive to change and great team players.  I appreciate the work they do and the experience and dedication they bring to TCDI.  Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Week to all the milspouses out there.

You are appreciated and thank you for your service!