#RoamGames 1/ THE WBS: IMAGINING AND MANAGING THE WORK NEEDED TO BRING YOUR IDEA TO REALITY
The PM tools I introduce in the rBook are skills. We learn them by actual practice. To practice the WBS, first list down actual projects (we also learn best with actual needs/wants).
The PM tools I introduce in the rBook are skills. We learn them by actual practice. To practice the WBS, first list down actual projects (we also learn best with actual needs/wants).
2/ In the rBook, you'll get prompts like this one. Here in Twitter, you can just reply if you want. Or do this in Roam, on paper or whatever you write on.
https://twitter.com/Roamfu/status/1354777636271058944
3/ Among the projects in your list, pick one among those that needs PM (projects that need coordination of many kinds of work), not projects that instead require deep work (consistent execution of few kinds of work, like writing or coding).
https://twitter.com/Roamfu/status/1354768412442906626
4/ Now, let's create an **initial** Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) for your project. The WBS is really just a structured and (eventually) comprehensive to do list. We start our project planning with a WBS to get a feel of what the project will entail.
5/ You could do this bottom-up or top-down. You could start by listing all the things needed to be done then categorizing them (children blocks under parent blocks in Roam). Or you could imagine the categories of work needed to deliver the project then fill them in with todos.
6/ The WBS could be many levels deep, with many work categories and subcategories. The structure is up to you.
One key principle is that the lowest levels ("work packages" in PMP lingo) are the size you want for tracking (really based on preference and also experience).
One key principle is that the lowest levels ("work packages" in PMP lingo) are the size you want for tracking (really based on preference and also experience).
7/ Example. Here is the actual WBS of project accessiblegenomics.org—the top level categories and the full mindmap (using roamjs.com/docs/extension…)
Don't worry if your WBS is not understandable to others. This is primary process for yourself as PM.
Don't worry if your WBS is not understandable to others. This is primary process for yourself as PM.
8/ This exercise if especially helpful if this is your first time to lead a kind of project.
Then you can then start using the knowledge and experience of others to build your WBS:
- interviewing ppl who have done this kind of project
- reading blogs/notes/journal articles
Then you can then start using the knowledge and experience of others to build your WBS:
- interviewing ppl who have done this kind of project
- reading blogs/notes/journal articles
9/ You don't need to start from scratch:
- If you work in an org with a mature PM practice, ask around for WBSs from past projects
- If you've done a similar project in the past, you can start with an old WBS (using these PM tools is a favor you're doing to your future selves!)
- If you work in an org with a mature PM practice, ask around for WBSs from past projects
- If you've done a similar project in the past, you can start with an old WBS (using these PM tools is a favor you're doing to your future selves!)
10/ Next steps. Tag the work packages:
- that cost the most (get a feel for budget)
- that could kill your project if they don't get done (show stoppers)
Then ask yourself:
- what could cause show stoppers? (risks)
- what skills do I need for the work? (recruitment plan)
- that cost the most (get a feel for budget)
- that could kill your project if they don't get done (show stoppers)
Then ask yourself:
- what could cause show stoppers? (risks)
- what skills do I need for the work? (recruitment plan)
11/ The shape of the mindmap itself reveals the shape of the project. What kind of project is this? Eg, if the biggest branch with the most show stoppers is logistics, for instance, then this is a logistics project.
12/ The branches could also tell you about your own knowledge of the project, especially if this is your first one of this kind. Is this branch small because I'm not familiar with this kind of work? Who could I ask about this?
13/ Later on, you can tag each work package with the teammate in charge of getting it done. When getting updates from a teammate, you can query by name, and you have a list of work packages to discuss with them.
14/ We'll go deeper into risks and building and managing a team in the next chapters. For now, we just need to get a feel of the project.
Attention is a scarce resource. This exercise allows us to program our attention to the most important branches of the project.
Attention is a scarce resource. This exercise allows us to program our attention to the most important branches of the project.
15/ The WBS as a mindmap could also be a great visualization of project status. This is yet to be built in Roam, but if the branch color could change to green when it is tagged as done, you could see your WBS becoming greener and greener as the project gets closer to completion.
16/ Simple, right? PM is not rocket science. All the PM tools I present in the book are as straightforward as the WBS. They are tried-and-tested tools from generations of project managers. They work.
Please try it out and don't hesitate to reach out for questions!
Please try it out and don't hesitate to reach out for questions!
17/17 Sign-up here to get email updates and medium rare book chapters: bit.ly/roamfu-pm
This is #5 in the series of threads for the rBook "Professional Project Management With Roam"
This is #5 in the series of threads for the rBook "Professional Project Management With Roam"
https://twitter.com/Roamfu/status/1354894771462934528
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