🚩Make Your Projects Simple with a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Read time: 5 minutes.

Welcome to Projects Right, my weekly newsletter where I give actionable leadership, AI, and career growth advice in project management

Special Announcement:

I’m thrilled to announce that something big is coming next week! This is going to bring a whole new level of resources to the project management community—helping everyone learn, grow, and excel like never before. Stay tuned, this is just the beginning

What’s Inside:

• Understanding the work breakdown structure

• The real reason CEOs want a return to office

• The power of a simple “thank you”

• Free cheat sheet vault

• Free project launch kit

Understanding The Work Breakdown Structure

I want to share a tool that makes even big, tricky projects feel much easier: it’s called a Work Breakdown Structure, or WBS for short. Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. Let me break it down for you!

What Is a WBS?

Think about a project you need to complete. It could be anything—like planning a school event, a birthday party, or a science fair project. At first, it can feel huge, like there’s so much to do that you don’t even know where to start. That’s where a WBS comes in.

A Work Breakdown Structure is like taking that big project and breaking it into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Imagine it as a tree. At the top, you have your big project goal, and then each branch represents a smaller part of that project. By the end, each tiny leaf on the tree is one small, easy-to-manage task. You work your way through each branch until everything is done!

Why Do You Need a WBS?

A WBS makes projects a lot less stressful. Here’s why it’s so helpful:

• It’s Easy to See Everything You Need to Do: When you break your project into smaller parts, you can clearly see all the things you need to do. Nothing gets left out by mistake.

• Everyone Knows What They’re Doing: If you’re working with a team, it’s easy to tell who needs to do what. No one is confused, and everyone knows their job.

• Better Planning: When you break things down, you can make a better plan. You know how long each part will take, what it might cost, and what resources you need. You can even plan for problems before they happen.

• Less Risky: Breaking a project into small pieces helps you spot risks and handle them before they grow into bigger problems.

How to Make Your Own WBS – Step by Step

Let’s go through the steps to make your own WBS. I’ll use an example to make it easier: organizing a school talent show.

Step 1: Think About the Big Goal

First, write down your main goal. For this example, the goal is to plan a fun, successful school talent show.

Step 2: Break It Into Main Parts

Now, let’s think of the main parts of the project. We can call these the “big branches” of our tree. For the talent show, these parts might be:

• Venue (the place where it will happen)

• Performers

• Audience (the people watching)

• Decorations and Setup

• Sound and Lighting

Step 3: Break Down Each Part

Take each of those big parts and break them down into smaller tasks. Let’s look at Venue as an example:

• Book the school gym or auditorium

• Set up chairs for the audience

• Check the equipment (like microphones or speakers)

Let’s do the same for Performers:

• Make a list of all the students who want to perform

• Schedule auditions to see what talents they will showcase

• Practice sessions for the performers

Keep doing this for each part of the project. The idea is to keep going until every task is small enough that you can do it easily without feeling overwhelmed.

Step 4: Organize It All

Finally, put all of these smaller tasks into a chart or even a list that shows how they all connect. The main goal is at the top, then the big branches below, and then all the smaller tasks underneath each one.

Example: School Talent Show WBS

Project: School Talent Show

• Venue: Book auditorium, set up chairs, check equipment

• Performers: List performers, hold auditions, plan rehearsals

• Audience: Send invites, create tickets, manage seating

• Decorations and Setup: Choose theme, set up decorations, arrange stage

• Sound and Lighting: Set up speakers, test microphones, arrange lighting

How Does a WBS Help?

When you create a WBS, all of a sudden, the big project doesn’t seem so scary. You have a clear plan with steps you can follow, one at a time. It makes everything easier to manage and track. And when everyone knows what they’re supposed to do, it means fewer surprises along the way.

So, next time you need to complete a big project—whether it’s for school, for work, or just a personal goal—try making a WBS. Break it into smaller steps, and watch how much more manageable it becomes!

The Real Reason CEOs Want A Return To Office

It’s called the Backdoor-Layoff.

Backdoor layoffs are disguised job cuts.

Companies do it by pushing employees to quit instead of firing them.

These companies have started the ball rolling:

➨ Tesla
➨ Apple
➨ Amazon
➨ Microsoft

To learn more about what’s happening, read more here.

The Power Of A Simple “Thank You”

A culture of recognition starts at the top.

Genuine appreciation transforms teams and organizations.

When leaders value their team, everything changes:

• Team motivation rises.

• The work environment thrives.

• A culture of recognition takes root.

Appreciation isn’t just a one-time event.

Read more here to learn 4 ways to put this into action.

Free Resources

As promised, here are 2 free resources to help you level up your project management:

1) My YouTube Channel: 50+ free videos

2) My Project Launchpad: 24 free templates to kick off your projects

Until next time,

Justin