We Build Strength (WBS). WBS stands for Work Breakdown Structure. This is a traditional project management perspective. You will follow best practices and create a WBS when you plan your project. Why not use it for team building?
Fun and exotic team building activities can be fun. To increase team synergy, you can learn how to do country western dancing. You can go skydiving or learn to race cars. Not everyone has the money or time to go on adventures. Regular project activities can and should be used as team building events.
Think about the creation of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). You should know that the WBS should not be constructed in your office by you alone. Let the people doing the work decide the work. Let them see how the deliverables translate into assignable activities. This is a great opportunity to build trust and relationships by working together. These are the steps that you can take to involve your team in the creation and maintenance of the WBS.
1.??? Invite the appropriate participants. This would include someone from each group who will be participating in the project. (Hint) It is a good idea for your key sponsor observe part of this activity to help them understand how the work is defined. Note: This could be a long work session or a series. These sessions should be scheduled with consideration for your team members’ availability and other commitments.
2.??? 2.? This will encourage lively discussion, especially if it is the first time that the team has heard the formal scope. Encourage questions and?what if? scenarios. You have effectively shut down communication if you dissuade your team from discussing the scope.
3.??? Ask people to work together to identify key deliverables. Use the “sticky note” approach. Use the?sticky note? or tear sheet approach. This means that you can give your team post-it notes and similar pieces of paper that can easily be written on and moved around. This allows the team write deliverables (and the next activities) on paper and place them at different locations on the WBS.
4.??? When the deliverables are firm, let the team work on the lower levels. Use the “sticky note” approach to break down the deliverables. Use the tearsheet or sticky note approach to break down the work. Encourage detail. The end result should be easily assignable and measurable.
5.??? Ensure that you take good notes during this session. What we create in one meeting makes perfect sense at that time. Details may become lost later.
6.??? Take some time off from the WBS, then return to it. Take it back and review it again to make sure it makes sense. Each member of the team should present their sections to the group for discussion and review. This helps to build a sense of the whole work effort.
Now your team is familiar with the traditional work breakdown structure. You have created a stronger team through your collaboration. This is how your WBS can be used to build team strength.
Your WBS can help you build team strength
