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In the 2009 PM Podcast listener survey an overwhelming number of respondents said that they would like to see product reviews as part of The PM Podcast. We listen and here is the first such in-depth review of Josh Nankivel's WBS Coach - a training program intended to help both beginners and advanced project managers in employing the WBS to support the success of their projects. The following is in our video:

• WBS Coach overview
• WBS Coach content
• How to download / unzip / use the training
• Listen to a minute of the original audio training
• Watch a minute of the original video training
• The PM Podcast Critique
• The PM Podcast Verdict

And without taking anything away we are happy to say that we give Josh without hesitation 4.5 out of 5 stars for the WBS Coach. Josh created a highly professional and practical training and put all of his experience it. Take a closer look at it by going to www.mywbscoach.com. If you decide to buy it then The PM Podcast will receive a commission from your purchase which we can use to cover our production cost.

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Last week, Josh Nankivel, PMP and I looked at some basics of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and we identified how it will help you make your project better.

However, one of the biggest issues that you will be faced when using a WBS on your project is that you need to first create it. And as you are creating it, you will need to answer the following questions:

• How do I structure the WBS?
• Do I include internal work?
• What about phase 2 and 3 of the project… how will I include that?
• Do I present it graphically or as a simple list

These are the questions that Josh and I are discussing. And at the conclusion of the discussion Josh tells us his favorite way of creating a successful WBS.

You can find out more about Josh's WBS Coach Training Program at www.mywbscoach.com and if you decide to buy then The PM Podcast will receive a commission from your purchase which we can use to cover our production cost.

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A project is defined in the PMBOK® Guide as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. At the core of this definition lies the fact, that there is “something” that our customers want and that it’s our job to deliver this something. We call this “something” the scope of the project. And the absolute best way to define, document and detail your scope is by using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

But now honestly, when was the last time that you used a WBS on your project? And if you have used one, did you use it correctly?

Josh Nankivel is a PMP who has about a decade of project management experience. During this time he used the WBS on initiatives that range from small projects to large scale aerospace programs. The WBS was always one of the cornerstones of his work. Sometimes it was even a contractual requirement.

A few weeks ago, Josh released The WBS Coach. This is a down-loadable training seminar that you can go through on your own time. Josh put all of his experience and practical advice into this training and you can take a closer look at it by going to www.mywbscoach.com. If you decide to buy it then The PM Podcast will receive a commission from your purchase which we can use to cover our production cost.

In our interview today, Josh and I will be looking at the basics of the WBS and how you can best use it on your projects to make them a success.

This episode is reserved for subscribers of the Premium Podcast. Learn how to subscribe to the Premium Podcast to access this presentation...

In this second interview with Pat Zornes we are going a lot deeper into PMO Assessments.

In her white paper titled “Accelerating Enterprise Improvement with a PMO Assessment” Pat discusses 7 methods that can be used when performing such a PMO assessment. We look at what these methods are and how to use them.

Pat also recommends that we focus on the Process Life Cycle, Organizational Environment and PM Competency in our PMO as we perform the assessment. Here she’ll tell us why we need to assess these and how.

Update: Pat's paper is no longer available for download and we do not have a copy either. So sorry.