Peer to Peer Magazine

was asking “Does it feel right?” While this might seem a bit unorthodox, the captain believes that “you can never go wrong if you do ‘the right thing.’” One of Abrashoff’s assumptions was that his crew wanted to do a good job, which is why he allowed the crew to offer up alternatives to how things were done. His senior and junior officers took note of this and encouraged the crew to examine what they were doing and how they could improve. This atmosphere of trust and creative thinking was contagious, and soon every department was involved in improving the ship. There were 310 men and women onboard the Benfold, and Abrashoff got to know each one by sitting down and listening to what they had to say about what they wanted to do. Listening to and understanding the challenges your team faces is important so that you can aid them in navigating difficult waters. Knowing what your people want to do, and then giving them opportunities to achieve their goals is a win-win prospect. Investing the time to listen to your people will generate many benefits down the road. The book provides real examples of how effective leadership can transform several independent groups in a department or company into one team with a common goal. Some of the steps seem to be fairly obvious, yet many leaders will forget that the best resource any company has is its people. Empowering and trusting your team will create an atmosphere of productivity and profit. For Abrashoff, the crew of the Benfold went from just biding their time until they could transfer or leave the Navy to a group of men and women determined to make the Benfold the best ship in the Navy. “It’s Your Ship” will inspire you to make your company the best company possible. Let your team know — it’s their company! ILTA Mary Pat Poteet is a consultant in electronic discovery and litigation support. She has served as the Director of Litigation Support for DLA Piper US LLP and is based in San Diego. While at DLA Piper, she served as a member of the firm’s Electronic Discovery Readiness and Response Group and managed a team of litigation support professionals throughout the country. Mary Pat provides consultation services on various litigation support issues, including complex litigation, data management and electronic evidence handling and processing. She speaks and writes frequently on electronic discovery topics and is a contributing author of the “California Civil Discovery Practice,” 4th ed. and co-author of “Electronic Discovery and Records Management Guide: Rules, Checklists and Forms.” She also serves as the Vice President of ILTA’s Litigation Support Peer Group. Peer to Peer the quarterly magazine of ILTA 85

• Cover