I recommended in an earlier post that the first thing you need to do when planning a project is to list every task. What are all the things your project will create and what are the things you need to do to create them?
This list is a great start, and it helps to keep it simple at this stage and just let your mind roam freely over what might need to be done. When you have this list your next step will be to start making it into a plan.
Firstly, group together things which are similar. Things you are going to make or do which fit together naturally. For example, if your project was to renovate a room in your house you might group together all those things you need to do before you get started: maybe you need to buy tools, paint, or other materials. You might group together all the things you need to do to prepare the room: clearing out furniture, stripping wallpaper, sanding woodwork. You might then group together all the things you need to do for the renovation itself: painting, repairing.
Let's look at another example of grouping tasks. If you were setting up a new business you might group together all those things you need to do before you get started: agreeing a company structure, finding an accountant, market research, building a pricing model. All of those things would help you to put together a business plan. So, your first group of tasks is based on creating the business plan. Another group of tasks might be all the things you need to do from the moment you create your business: setting up shop, marketing, manufacturing. Another group might be all the things you need to do to market your business: buiding a web-site, advertising, networking.
With each of these examples the groups of tasks all aim towards delivering something to your project. It might be an empty room ready for painting, or it might be a marketing plan put in place.
Groups of tasks like these are often used in project management to provide a target to aim for, or a 'milestone'. Completing all the tasks in a group, which often means actually delivering something, can provide a great sense of achievement. That's another great reason to put some thought into your groups. Try to design groups of work that not only fit together naturally, but allow you to complete something early in your project.
Of course you can have groups within groups. In our new business example above there is a group of tasks for marketing which are part of the group of tasks for kicking off the business. This is also a way of making it easier for yourself to get early wins.
So far we have listed the tasks we need to complete for our project, and we have grouped tasks into natural bundles that will often deliver something to our project. The next step of building up our work breakdown structure, or project plan, is to think about the order in which we complete each of the tasks.
This list is a great start, and it helps to keep it simple at this stage and just let your mind roam freely over what might need to be done. When you have this list your next step will be to start making it into a plan.
Firstly, group together things which are similar. Things you are going to make or do which fit together naturally. For example, if your project was to renovate a room in your house you might group together all those things you need to do before you get started: maybe you need to buy tools, paint, or other materials. You might group together all the things you need to do to prepare the room: clearing out furniture, stripping wallpaper, sanding woodwork. You might then group together all the things you need to do for the renovation itself: painting, repairing.
Let's look at another example of grouping tasks. If you were setting up a new business you might group together all those things you need to do before you get started: agreeing a company structure, finding an accountant, market research, building a pricing model. All of those things would help you to put together a business plan. So, your first group of tasks is based on creating the business plan. Another group of tasks might be all the things you need to do from the moment you create your business: setting up shop, marketing, manufacturing. Another group might be all the things you need to do to market your business: buiding a web-site, advertising, networking.
With each of these examples the groups of tasks all aim towards delivering something to your project. It might be an empty room ready for painting, or it might be a marketing plan put in place.
Groups of tasks like these are often used in project management to provide a target to aim for, or a 'milestone'. Completing all the tasks in a group, which often means actually delivering something, can provide a great sense of achievement. That's another great reason to put some thought into your groups. Try to design groups of work that not only fit together naturally, but allow you to complete something early in your project.
Of course you can have groups within groups. In our new business example above there is a group of tasks for marketing which are part of the group of tasks for kicking off the business. This is also a way of making it easier for yourself to get early wins.
So far we have listed the tasks we need to complete for our project, and we have grouped tasks into natural bundles that will often deliver something to our project. The next step of building up our work breakdown structure, or project plan, is to think about the order in which we complete each of the tasks.
