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Aspira launches free webinar series to support businesses during Covid-19 crisis

8 April 2020: Aspira, the leading Irish consulting and enterprise IT services company, has today launched a series of free live webinars to support businesses in light of the current Covid-19 public health situation. You can sign up for the webinars at www.aspira.ie/events

The webinars will run for five weeks, with a new one every Wednesday from 8th April to 6th May. Each Wednesday Webinar will last for an hour and will focus on developing and improving skills to help business leaders and their teams work effectively in the ‘new normal’.

The series will cover topics such as kickstarting projects across virtual teams and getting the most out of project management software such as Microsoft Teams. The first webinar, which took place today, looked at leading and managing project teams from a distance, run by Aspira Global Head of Project Training Norma Lynch.

Speaking on the webinars, Aspira’s CEO Pat Lucey said: “Many businesses are currently faced with uncertainty and new working environments. At Aspira, we wanted to share some positivity and useful insights during this difficult time. Running this webinar series gives us the opportunity to share our team’s expertise in the areas of project management and remote working software and supports.”

Aspira is a specialist Project Management and Technology consultancy, focusing on Enterprise IT Solutions, with offices in Dublin, Cork and the Netherlands. Offering Managed IT, Software Development, Testing and Training services internationally, Aspira has been named as one of Deloitte’s Fast 50 for the past six years and was twice listed in the Financial Times Top Thousand companies in Europe.

Full list of upcoming Wednesday Webinar Series

Date: Wednesday 15^th April

Time: 11.00am – 12.00pm (12.00 – 13.00 CET)

Topic: Working remotely made easier with MS Teams – Stephen McCluskey

Register here: https://aspira.ie/events/working-with-ms-teams/

Date: Wednesday 22^nd April

Time: 11.00am – 12.00pm (12.00 – 13.00 CET)

Topic: Getting to grips with MS Project – Damien Kearns

Register here: https://aspira.ie/events/getting-to-grips-with-ms-project/

Date: Wednesday 29^th April

Time: 11.00am – 12.00pm (12.00 – 13.00 CET)

Topic: Leveraging Agile in a Virtual Environment – Thomas McGrath

Register here: https://aspira.ie/events/leveraging-agile-in-a-virtual-environment/

Date: Wednesday 6^th May

Time: 11.00am – 12.00pm (12.00 – 13.00 CET)

Topic: Kickstarting a Project in a Virtual Team – Gillian Whelan

Register here: https://aspira.ie/events/kick-starting-a-project-in-a-virtual-team/

For further information, or to arrange an interview with Pat Lucey please contact

Ciara Flaherty, Springboard PR & Marketing,

ciara@springboardpr.ie

086 061 1012, + 353 21 496 9000

Leading & Managing your Project Team from a Distance

Globally we have embarked on a grand experiment with remote work and technology. Teams have been dispersed, plans have changed and managers are striving to adapt to the ‘new normal’.

Businesses must continue but how we do business must change. Greeting, meeting, seating, communicating, deciding, and executing have all changed. Managers need to reimagine how they are going to manage and lead from a distance.

This can be challenging because there are no visible cues to the team’s level of engagement or energy. The established routines, that were comfortable and steady, have now vanished. New norms need to be established in order to lead and manage from a distance. All communication and collaboration has to be more deliberate and disciplined:

Team goals must be crystal-clear and progress made visible.
Team members must be encouraged to speak up from a distance and feel comfortable doing so.
We must all consider how we frame our remote communications to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

The rules of the game have changed, and managers have to adapt.

Learn how, at our free webinar this Wednesday from 11-12pm.

This webinar is part of a Weekly Wednesday Webinar series from Aspira to support businesses during the Covid-19 crisis. The webinars will run each Wednesday at 11am, starting 8^th April.

Each Webinar will last for an hour max and will focus on developing and improving skills to help business leaders and their teams work effectively in the ‘new normal’.

You can sign up for any (or all) of these webinars here: www.aspira.ie/events

Author: Norma Lynch, Head of Training, Aspira.

Our CEO Pat Lucey shares his perspective on remote working and facing the challenges ahead

I am lucky enough to have a job I really enjoy. As CEO of Aspira I get to meet with many different customers in a variety of sectors. I get to travel to different locations to work directly with colleagues. I get asked to speak at conventions and conferences all over the world. And then Covid-19 happens and suddenly I’m doing none of those things.

I realise that I am one of the fortunate people who has not been struck down by the virus and who still has a job. I have good internet allowing me to work remotely and have commandeered the room formerly used as the kids’ playroom. So in the greater scheme of things I am aware that my struggles with remote working are at the very minor end of the scale. I would categorize them under three headings:

People

My primary concern as CEO is the health and safety of our team. Because most of our roles can be done remotely, we made the decision early on to test our remote working capability, to ensure everyone could connect and work remotely, and then to execute that plan proactively. Because some of our clients provide essential services, we must also be ready to support those clients should they need on-site emergency work. We quickly put in place practices and policies to prioritise the safety of our team and the people we deal with, and we are monitoring this on a daily basis. We needed to setup regular communication with each employee to understand if they had any specific issues or concerns and to ensure we kept communication lines open. My monthly email to all staff became a weekly email to reflect the fast-pace of change going on around us and let people know how the company is responding to that change. We set up a weekly “pointless meeting” open to all staff at lunchtime on Fridays, with no agenda, and where no ‘work talk’ is allowed – the idea is to let people stay connected through regular informal chit-chat.

Business Continuity

The next step was to do some contingency planning – for each key role, we needed to line up a backup person and a backup to that backup, and get those people trained up in the event that anyone should become unavailable to work. Our strategy has been that all our IT systems are based in the cloud, so that makes us very portable and not tied to our physical buildings. We diverted our office phones and ensured everybody could access their business phone via their laptop. We also had to look at our international operations and see how local authorities were responding to the pandemic, as each country is taking a subtly different approach.

Looking forward – surviving and sustaining

We are lucky in that Aspira delivers services across a broad range of industry sectors. Some of those have taken a big hit – for example our clients in the airline sector are obviously heavily impacted and that quickly feeds through to us. Clients in the banking, food production and medical device sectors are under extreme pressure and if anything, demand has increased. But overall we expect a significant hit on companies and economies over the next six months so we must be innovative in transforming our services and developing new services that will be of value to clients.

Through all this time the key thing is to communicate, communicate, communicate – to employees, to suppliers, to clients. Lack of communication causes anxiety and fear – by communicating honestly and regularly, people will know where they stand and what they can expect.

Here’s to collectively standing together and embracing whatever positives may come from our ‘new normal’.

Author: Pat Lucey, CEO, Aspira.

How to run a project team meeting online

More than ever within the unsettled and remote world we find ourselves living in today, face-to-face meetings are fast becoming the exception rather than the norm.

At Aspira, we have embraced “project team meetings” or “virtual meetings” as I’ll refer to them, as a means to maintain the status quo with our clients as well as with each other. As with everything in life, there are pros & cons to the methods of our interactions.

Virtual meetings offer the ability to invite more people; potentially happier people, since attending meetings remotely is usually more convenient than doing so in person; and there is no travel time, which breeds efficiency and helps the environment.
Of course, these virtual meetings also pose challenges: distracting noises; side-tracked participants who multitask or tune out; and technology glitches.

As such, meeting facilitators really need to be organised to overcome these challenges and keep people engaged. Here are some tips for overcoming these hurdles and keeping virtual meetings running smoothly based on my own learnings more recently…

Early Login. Make it a habit to dial-in a few minutes early when facilitating the meeting, so you can be ready and welcome your colleagues as they arrive …it’s also professional in my opinion for the facilitator to be present before everyone else, as it would be for a face-to-face meeting…or maybe that’s just me!
Ground Rules / Distractions. Participants should agree on the ground rules, especially if the group meets regularly. For example: Everyone must attend, be on time, stick to a timeline, read the agenda, stay on task. Remind participants to use their mute button, if necessary. Distractions can really ruin a call whether it’s a vibrating mobile phone or a kango hammer outside your window!
The Invitees. It’s difficult to hold a virtual meeting with a very large number of participants, due sometimes to the capabilities of the technology and everyone’s ability to contribute to the conversation. If a participant has nothing to gain or contribute you should really consider why they are involved in the first place?
Socialise. Don’t miss a chance to connect with your colleagues (before starting the meeting or at the end) now more than ever. We are all under stresses due to the current unprecedented situation that is COVID-19, so simply connecting on a personal level can do more than you might realise for some people. I find the pre-meeting chit-chat helps me stay connected and sharing our observations, funny stories or woes can also be very therapeutic!
Face-time. I feel way more engaged when I can see you! Encourage participants to show their faces online (if only when speaking) and by association get them out of their PJ’s and into their casuals!
Objective & Agenda. Always prepare a clear meeting objective and associated agenda. If appropriate, distribute the agenda and other materials to attendees in advance, and explain if/why they need to review them prior to meeting. Be as conscious about people’s time for virtual meetings as you would for face-to face meetings.
Encourage Participation. Asking directly for input really helps team members feel engaged. Seek out those who may not be as vocal but avoid putting them on the spot.
Avoid Back-to-Back Meetings. It is important that you give yourself sometime between meetings…a chance to catch breath, consider the outcomes and actions and to reset your mind for the next virtual meeting. Meeting burn-out is as probable for virtual meetings as it is for face-to-face meetings.
Try to be engaging. This does not mean attempting a stand-up comedy routine, but simply try to make it interesting with lively interaction and even to be conscious of your tone…again, the use of your video will help here as suggested earlier.
Check out action items are in progress. It’s vital in virtual meeting forums that we get clear and actionable outcomes for participants. Remind those who participated the main points of the meeting and the follow-up actions, owners and due dates agreed etc. Everyone needs to know that commitments are being tracked to completion.

The biggest challenge of virtual meetings is to keep people interested and engaged. The suggestions listed are not all encompassing…employ what works for your own team situation and dynamic and adapt as you proceed. Take feedback from your colleagues and make it everyone’s meeting. On look back, many of the suggestions outlined apply to traditional face-to-face meetings also, so the adoption of a virtual working world should not be so difficult, in theory!

Work smart, Stay safe.

Author: Thomas McGrath, Senior Project Manager, Aspira

How to manage an unplanned virtual team

The advantages and disadvantage of working remotely are well documented. Some people love to work remotely, and some people really do not like it at all. But in the current climate it’s a pointless debate – everyone has to do it. So how can we overcome the challenges when it comes to building a virtual project team when thrust into this unplanned remote working environment?

Solutions to these challenges include:

Communication – Project Managers should lead by example by providing regular updates to the team and holding one-to-one meetings using technology that supports video conferencing. Project team members are more likely to follow the good example set by their Project Manager.

Trust – Trust may already exist in an unplanned virtual project team as the project team will have already had time to work together face-to-face. But distance can cause trust to diminish fast, so it is imperative that Project Managers take the necessary steps to maintain trust among the team. Holding daily virtual team meetings where each project team member have an opportunity to provide an update to their team on their progress can help maintain trust. Project Managers should look for opportunities to showcase project team member’s work and give public feedback on a job well done.

Using an on-line team task tracker where all team members can record their progress and review their colleague’s progress. This keeps progress visible and keeps people motivated.

Combat isolation – nurture a strong one-to-one relationship between the Project Manager and project team member, with frequent short video conference calls. These can help reduce feelings of isolation. Giving project team members tasks to work on together can also foster a feeling of being part of a project team.

Training is a great way to bring project teams together and maintain team spirit while they work apart. Aspira offer a range of 2-hour online instructor led industry certified training courses which provide a welcome variety to people working from home. https://aspira.ie/project-management-courses/

Adapting to an unplanned switch from a co-located project team to a virtual project team will require effort in order for the team to adapt. Technology, such as Microsoft Teams, facilitate a smoother and quicker transition, but Project Managers will need to be patient with their teams and themselves. Show kindness to your colleagues and help each other stay on track.

Author: Gillian Whelan, Senior Consultant, Aspira

Cabin Fever? Inject some productive distraction into your day.

Cabin Fever? Inject some productive distraction into your day.

Pre Covid-19, my mother who is the same age as the Queen, punctuated her days with early morning mass, swimming at noon and her tri-weekly game of bridge. This added structure to her day, physical activity and social interaction.

Now all that is gone. So, what can she do to inject productive distraction into her day?

She has decided, due to this temporary ‘inconvenience’ as she calls it, that she is going to take up knitting again and is starting with knitting cardigans for her great grandchildren.

If I ever need some inspiration, I look towards my mother; no excuses are allowed.

Now that a lot of us are working from home due to the ‘inconvenience’, how can we deal with the challenges of cabin fever and how can we re-imagine our ‘new normal’? In addition to taking regular breaks and getting healthy exercise, another option is to inject productive distraction into our day.

One of the best ways we can generate productive distraction is by upskilling ourselves. Maybe you have been putting off progressing in your own career path and maybe, just maybe, the ‘new normal’ presents you with an opportunity to acquire new skills and re-imagine how you can do better what you have always done.

Aspira Training has also been re-imagining how we do better what we have always done. And so we have taken our Project Management, Agile, Scrum and Business Analyst training course and adapted them to the virtual classroom.

The training is delivered ‘virtually live’ in blocks of two hours, by qualified international trainers, using industry leading collaborative software. There is engaging and interactive assignments to tackle, before, during and after each session.

The training will prepare you to sit the formal certification exams, enabling you to become a formally certified Project Manager, Scrum Master, Agile Practitioner or Business Analyst, and you will have seized this ‘inconvenience’ and realised your ambitions in this ‘new normal’.

Email training@aspira.ie to find out more and start injecting productive distraction into your day.

Pre-Isolate your teams – a proactive approach to COVID-19

Pre-Isolate your teams – a proactive approach to COVID-19

As good Project Managers, we’re always being asked to predict and plan for risks. All of you reading this will have been inundated with emails on your contingency planning for the Corona Virus. One issue we’ve seen is that the focus seems mainly be to make plans for what happens in the case of an outbreak in an office location.

We feel that instead it’s time we got out ahead of these risks. With this in mind, we’re looking at each team we have in a location and reviewing what would happen if there was an outbreak. Inevitably, we would have to quickly execute a plan to have the full staff move to work from home. This could be very disruptive to day to day activities and have unpredictable results. While half-day dummy runs will help, the impact of teams working for a number of weeks is still difficult to predict.

So, to get ahead of the risk we have decided that we would ask a portion of the staff in each department to move to working remotely immediately. With this approach, were there to be an outbreak in the office those already working remotely would not be affected by that outbreak. This would allow us continuity of service while contributing to the community effort to slow down the spread of the virus.

Author: Colum Horgan, CTO, Aspira

How Secure is your Cloud?

How Secure is your Cloud?

Cloud-based solutions are increasing in demand globally. These solutions span from secure data storage to entire business processes. The allure of transferring IT from being a cost centre to a business engine have organisations flocking to avail of cloud potential.

Leveraging cloud capabilities allows system and infrastructure tasks to be completed in hours rather than weeks. This in turn allows staff to focus on more important aspects such as innovation and driving the business forward.

However, reduced costs and an abundance of features don’t come without drawbacks. Security has always been the primary concern. Since the introduction of cloud services, that concern is elevated.

So how secure is the cloud?

To answer this, let’s look at what the cloud offers in terms of security.

Users are most familiar with the security credentials around gaining access. Cloud vendors secure user data using other means; some of these include:

Advanced firewalls: These verify content integrity and can map known security threats vs. the standard firewall which only examines source and destination data.
Intrusion detection: Several layers of detection provided by cloud services can stop intruders should they pass the initial defence.
Encryption: All data is encrypted in the cloud. Should encrypted data be stolen, access will be denied without the encryption key.
Event logs: Cloud security analysts use these logs to help predict and prevent security breaches.
Physical security: Data centres are certified, meaning they provide 24-hour monitoring, advanced personal access and onsite security guards.

Next, let’s look at some of the security risks. Cloud services clearly offer many security measures to ensure your cloud is kept safe. To ensure your cloud security is complete, staff must be made aware of these security measures. As secure as the cloud is, negligent users can leave the door wide open.

Security breaches are rarely caused by inefficient cloud security but by the end user. Several factors are contributed to user security and can be reduced with employee training that focuses on:

Authentication: Weak credentials are the primary security vulnerability – no more password123. Utilizing security services such as multi-factor authentication will go a long way to reduce this vulnerability.
Awareness: Employees should be trained in security awareness; this should include how businesses are breached and how to respond to common attack approaches.
Phishing: A very common attack technique which can attempt to compromise a user’s credentials to gain access to business systems.

In conclusion, cloud security provides advanced security features–usually better than an on-premise solution. It is up to businesses to follow the cloud provider’s security guidelines and to correctly deploy their data into the cloud. Incorrect or negligent use could jeopardize even the most secure environments, which is why employee training is the first step to securing your cloud environment.

Aspira are Microsoft Gold Certified Partners offer secure access to the Azure Cloud services and the Office 365 and Teams environment. Contact info@aspira.ie with your questions on the cloud.

Author: Allan Locke, Senior Systems Administrator, Aspira

Guest blog: Developing an Organisation’s Training Strategy

In any business, the need for a robust company-wide training strategy is an integral part of improving the knowledge and skills of all employees.

In the knowledge economy, the skills and experience of our employees are central to our organizational success. Focused training programmes are key to employees’ development. By developing a training process that is targeted at meeting the needs of both the individual and of the business, we ensure that standards are maintained and targeted growth is achieved.

Establishing a clear vision of where your company wants to be is a pre-requisite step in order to then identify the training needs and implement a strategy to meet those needs and achieve those longer-term goals. Well thought-out training programmes will ensure that individual skills are continually improved in areas that align with the company’s strategy. Investment in training increases the employee’s value and productivity and will also be a major contributor to employee motivation, career development and professional satisfaction.

Periodic management reviews should include a Training review, where specific KPIs are monitored to ensure that relevant training is identified, being made available to staff, and actions taken when required. Staff who understand the on-the-job behaviours and have the knowledge base to succeed are far more motivated and more likely to remain loyal. This drives greater productivity, efficiency and shorter-ramp-up time for new hires.

Like any educational initiative, training is a long-term investment, and the benefits are sometimes not immediately obvious. Change will seldom occur overnight, so it’s important that you take time to build and develop a robust flexible training process that can be modified to meet the future needs of the company.

In Hovione, a key aspect of our future growth, encapsulated in our “Strategic Plan FY2020 to FY2024” is our continued investment in Project Management. PMI Statistics show that while 98% of organizations believe Project Management is crucial to their business success, not everybody invests in a programme to improve the PM capability of their staff. Not surprisingly, only 34% of low performing organizations make an ongoing investment in PM training. Conversely, 82% of High Performing organizations make that investment.

Hovione has developed a very positive partnership with Aspira training services, who have put a tailored program in place that allows our staff to gain internationally certified training but also uses case studies and examples directly from our experience.

Aspira helps Hovione by bringing international best practice coupled with local insights – it’s a powerful combination.

Author: Donnacha Ryan, Training Co-ordinator, Hovione.

Aspira offer a range of training options, which can be found here. If you would like more information on any of our capabilities, get in touch with us at info@aspira.ie

The Importance of Upskilling

The Importance of Upskilling

Learning new skills is critical in today’s knowledge and project economy. To ensure your high performing teams consistently deliver on their objectives and realize benefit for your organization, you need to continually invest in their skills.

In today’s rapidly changing world with constant introduction of new technologies and innovative ways of doing things, the option of whether to upskill or not no longer exists. It is imperative for business growth. The competitive edge of your business will be defined by the ability and competence of your team. Many will wonder “what is my return on investment?” after investing time and money into employees’ skills. It comes down to showing value in them, which will lead to considerable generation of:

An engaged workforce.

This is really crucial in any organization as it has a significant impact on how effective and productive your workforce is. Worker engagement is an emotional commitment to the organization and its goals and will be seen daily in both their work ethic and your organization’s overall performance.

Higher Retention & Lower Absenteeism.

When you upskill your team, it will be reciprocated in terms of their loyalty and service to your organization. Empowering and training your team will lead to workplace happiness and thereby increase retention and lower absenteeism.

Happy Customers.

This will ultimately lead to happy customers. The enthusiasm of your workforce will reach your customer base, who will then spread the word and your business will increase.

Increase in your bottom line.

The biggest benefit will be in the overall financial performance of your organization. Sales will soar, productivity will increase and your reputation in the marketplace will grow.

So you see, upskilling your workforce has many positive outcomes. If you haven’t put a training plan together yet for your team, please call Aspira who will help you to put a developmental plan in place.

Article by Norma Lynch, Head of Training at Aspira. For more information on how Aspira can help you with all your upskilling needs, contact us on info@aspira.ie or call +353 21 235 2550.

Four things to never say on a conference call

In a globally-connected environment, one of the ways in which we often communicate is via conference call. While there are many advantages to this technology, it can also be the setting for what some might see as less-than-ideal phone etiquette.

With that in mind, here are four things to never say when you’re on such a call – whether with colleagues or customers!

“I was on mute – can you repeat that”

This usually happens when you are asked a question but you haven’t been paying full attention. Being on mute means others cannot hear you – but you can still hear them! Saying this is an admission you were ‘multi-tasking’ and not paying attention.

“I know you cannot see this diagram and this spreadsheet, so I will describe them…”

If you need to discuss a spreadsheet or presentation over an audio conference, make sure you share the said file with participants in advance of the call, by email, if need be. Aspira can also advise you on conference call software that will allow real-time screen and file sharing so you can work together more efficiently.

“I need to move the next call to 3am on your local public holiday”.

Be sensitive to the location and timezone of your participants – try to restrict calls to a time that is reasonable and be aware of local public holidays.

“I’ll just put you on hold as I’ve another call coming in”

Remember – when you put people on hold they will hear pips, or tones, or even music. Don’t subject the rest of the conference call attendees to these unwanted noises while you take another call. If the incoming call is important, drop off the conference bridge and then join back in later.

Aspira has delivered Consulting and Technology solutions into 24 countries – we know what it’s like to conference! Talk to us if you have technology project needs at www.aspira.ie.

Bringing sexy back to Project Management

I was recently lined up to do a live radio interview on a national broadcaster business show. As he was introducing my interview segment, the show host said, “And next we’ll talk to Pat Lucey, the man who’ll explain what makes Project Management sexy”.

And for the next couple of minutes as the ad-break ran, my mind was in a whirl. Is Project Management a sexy career? If so why? What can I talk about…

Thankfully, when the interview started the discussion went down other avenues, as I talked about Aspira’s consulting and technology business; how we help organisations deliver their technology projects so that they can reap the benefits of digital transformation, and have confidence that their Aspira colleagues will ensure their projects get delivered.

Afterwards I reflected… what is the sexiest career? I have to admit that for me the answer is to be an astronaut! Since I was a small kid, I fantasised about that career and when Norah Patten – Ireland’s prospective first astronaut – spoke at the Ireland Project Management Conference in 2018, I was a total fan-boy.

So, could Project Management compete on the sexiness scale of careers. Over to my Google search page to seek the definition of sexiness. Once I got past some inappropriate options, I found a nice definition – to be sexy something must be exciting, appealing and attractive. So let’s apply the test:

What could be more exciting than turning ideas into reality? It is the Project Manager that takes a notion, a vision, a dream, and finds a way to make that dream come true. Overcoming obstacles, thwarting opponents, and delivering the treasure at the end – the Project Manager is a modern day Prince/Princess Charming. 10/10 for excitement.

Is Project Management an appealing career? One measure is just how much in demand are Project Managers today. Aspira provide Project Management consultants to our clients internationally and we can say without fear of contradiction that the market is crying out for good Project Managers. In some market regions, the demand is 7:1 – in other words for every Project Manager there are seven roles vying for his/her attention. 10/10 for appealing.

Are Project Managers attractive? In order to be a Project Manager you must be an optimist – you must see the power of the possible, and you must have deep faith in the character of people. These are really positive and attractive qualities in any individual. Throw in the fact that all Project Managers are really handsome and good looking people, and you have to award 10/10 for attractiveness.

So there we have it. After a deeply scientific analysis, I have proven that Project Management is indeed a very sexy career choice. In fact I bet there are some astronauts who are now looking to switch to join us PM types…

Article by Pat Lucey, CEO of Aspira. For more information on how Aspira can help you with all your project management needs or to find out more about a career in project management, contact info@aspira.ie.