Last month, we focused on agility and how flexibility allows us to guide clients through the twists, turns, and occasional sharp corners that come from using emerging technologies in complex legal work. The ability to adapt matters to our clients, especially in an industry where expectations shift often and the path forward is rarely a straight line.
But flexibility doesn’t happen on its own. It comes from having a strong foundation built by teams who understand both where the industry has been and where it’s heading. At TCDI, being rooted means we can move with purpose because we’re grounded in the principles that have guided our work for over 37 years: defensibility, efficiency, collaboration, and client service.
To better understand how this value shows up across TCDI, we asked team members what being rooted means to them. Here’s what they had to say:
Strategic Solutions Team
The idea of company values is often bandied about so easily. Every corporate website has a section defining the core values that are supposed to define the company. But none of them really mean anything without understanding the idea of being rooted to an idea.
Being rooted goes beyond a set of words that are run through group think and focus groups. It is foundational to every successful organization. These words define the company by its people, and the commitment of its people, to a shared idea of what is important to each person as an individual. Then, it’s enhanced by all of the individual commitments coming together as a company commitment.
What exactly does this mean? It means that you start with the individual, and you foster an environment where individual goals and values are paramount. This view clearly understands where work belongs in work-life balance and family calculations, and it understands that the company cannot survive when individual values are in conflict with the company values.
Our people, every one of them, are critical factors in our ability to deliver the solutions, the level of effort, and the successes that every client deserves and expects from TCDI. That means our company core needs to be rooted in the commitment and values that matter to them. No amount of management consulting or branding or superficial feel-good words can overcome values that are not rooted in a foundation built by the best ideals and commitment of our people.
No amount of KPIs, performance measurements, or project dashboards can overcome an attitude that treats people as interchangeable resources or plug-and-play components with no soul, feelings, personal integrity, and hopes. So, if you are looking to find out what defines TCDI, look further into how we are rooted in our belief in, and the beliefs of, our people.
We are a collection of individuals, but each individual is a free actor who brings their own set of values. We strive to make sure our company values are rooted in what drives them as individuals, and we work to harness those motivations to support our clients. We do what we do, the way we do, because we are deeply rooted in our people. And we are deeply rooted in the understanding that the value of TCDI is not just some corporate object that survives on its own, but it’s our people – their personal motivations and how they want to contribute to their work community – that defines TCDI.
Technology is ever-changing, but the roots of managed review, the twin priorities of defensibility and efficiency, run deep. We utilize workflows that are proven, auditable, and scientifically sound whether we are performing linear review, working in a technology assisted (TAR) workflow, or using AI combined with human validation to achieve these goals. We are flexible in our approach, though we adhere to our foundational principles: accurate review that is efficient and therefore cost effective.
Effective document review is grounded in rigorous analysis, careful privilege review, and the targeted use of technology and analytics to narrow the document populations that require eyes on review. Review itself starts with reviewer feedback, training, and the foundational principles of careful review and QC that improves the overall accuracy of the resulting document set.
Document Review Team
In my role, rooting managed review in defensibility and efficiency is the approach I take to balance speed and accuracy. I do this by relying on defensible processes and customizable workflows to develop an accurate document set on the client’s timeline. Different solutions may be applicable to different matters, though the goal is always the same: accurate review that is efficient, and therefore, cost effective.
This year marks year 23 for me at TCDI. Longevity requires deep roots, and those roots grow in a few different ways.
First off, the leadership at TCDI has supported and encouraged me to be myself, challenged me, and provided opportunities to learn and grow. This translates in the work that I do day to day to support our clients.
Secondly, my colleagues inspire me to be a better version of myself, and I am proud to see the way that they excel at their jobs. Collaborating with clients to help solve problems and support their successes is unbelievably gratifying and keeps me motivated to do even more for them.
Along the way, we have to make some time for fun, which TCDI does by creating a culture of success at a personal and professional level. Work hard, work smart, work together!
Learn More About TCDI's Culture and Values
This blog was a compilation of thoughts from our team at TCDI.
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