Project management training has become a must for any organization wishing to increase efficiency and empower its teams. Increasing project management skills requires more than simply imparting knowledge: it requires support tailored to the level and challenges of each individual.

Virtual classroom, face-to-face, coaching, blended learning... The formats are multiplying, but not all are equal. The right choice depends above all on your objectives, the profile of your teams and your operating context.

Clarify training needs

Even before comparing the available training formats, it is essential to make a clear diagnosis of the needs to be addressed. This will enable you to choose a system that is truly adapted to your company's needs and will have a real impact.

Identify skills to be developed 

The first step is to identify the gaps and weaknesses in your team. To do this, analyze your past projects: what worked, what didn't? Were any failures due to a lack of specific skills or knowledge? Talk to your colleagues to better understand the causes, then identify exactly where the needs lie.

Once the need has been identified, the second step is to distinguish the nature of the skills to be reinforced:

• Operational skills: these relate to day-to-day project management. Framing, defining SMART objectives, breaking down tasks, allocating resources, drawing up schedules, monitoring indicators (cost, quality, deadlines), managing unforeseen events... These skills require a rigorous methodological approach.
  
  
• Strategic skills: these are more akin to project leadership. You need to be able to convince stakeholders, manage internal issues, set objectives, anticipate risks, arbitrate in the face of uncertainty...
  
  
• Cross-functional skills Cross-functional skills: these complement the previous two, and include skills such as communication, feedback, productivity, time management and teamwork. They facilitate task execution and improve team efficiency.
  

Tailor training to your teams' level of project maturity

The third stage of analysis is the participants' level of experience:

• Beginners: have never had any training in project management. They will need a solid grounding to understand the stages of a project.
  
  
• Intermediates: professionals with previous experience. The aim is to professionalize practices, avoid common mistakes and improve efficiency.
  
  
• Experts: senior project managers, PMOs. They are looking for decision-support tools, agile or hybrid methods, and better ways to manage uncertainties in a complex environment.

Choosing the most appropriate training format

Once the needs have been identified, we can turn our attention to the different pedagogical formats available, each depending on the company's environment and objectives.

The face-to-face or interactive virtual classroom format

When the aim is to lay the methodological foundations, face-to-face or virtual classroom formats are highly effective.

• The advantages of face-to-face training lie in the group dynamics it fosters. Exchanges take place more easily and spontaneously, and it's ideal for putting real-life situations into practice. It's also a good format for strengthening team cohesion.
  
  
• The virtual classroom has the advantage of being easily accessible. Anyone can take part in training remotely, so there's no need to travel. It can also be more flexible, thanks to the use of collaborative tools such as whiteboards, shared documents or live polls, which make sessions more interactive.

For example, companies with a hybrid environment, with employees spread over several geographical zones, will prefer virtual classrooms.

Anchoring your company with blended learning

Blended learning is ideal for supporting the gradual transformation of practices:

• A course can start with e-learning (videos, quizzes, infographics) for theoretical input.
  
  
• Then continue with synchronous workshops for practical application.
  
  
• Finally, a consolidation phase using case studies, simulation games and group coaching. 

Tailor-made solutions to meet complex challenges

Certain contexts call for an ultra-contextualized approach: managing an international project with multicultural teams, reorganizing a company...

In these cases, standard training is not enough. We need to create tailor-made systems and adaptable courses, often in the form of :

• Individual coaching for a leader or to develop an individual skill.
  
  
• Team coaching to strengthen project cooperation.
  
  
• Co-development workshops to help peers come up with solutions.

You can combine all 3 formats in the same course to offer an even more complete experience. In fact, that's what we recommend at NUMA, combining training courses and coaching to maximize the anchoring of practices.

Integrating training into everyday life

Even the best training can fail if it is poorly integrated into employees' daily lives. It is therefore crucial to link it intelligently to the operational rhythm.

Adapting the format to operational constraints

Training must be designed to fit in with the pace of work. This means avoiding breaks that are too long or sessions that are too concentrated.

• Offer short, flexible formats: microlearning, 2-hour workshops, video capsules...
  
  
• Enable asynchronous self-learning: free access to resources on a platform, e-learning tools...
  

Sequencing learning to promote skills development

Spaced repetition is one of the best learning techniques. Rather than concentrating effort in a single block :

• Break training down into sequences: for example, training courses divided into weekly modules.
• Create anchoring rituals: a tool review every Monday, a "feedback" workshop every 15 days...
• Emphasize practical application: use concrete, immersive case studies to work in real-life situations.

Choosing a project management training format is not just a logistical decision. It's a lever for managerial transformation.
The right format is the one that meets learners' concrete needs, fits in with their professional reality and enables sustainable learning, not just theory.

By using adapted, practical formats, you increase the chances that your teams will acquire real skills. They'll be able to use them where it counts: in the field.

To take things a step further, NUMA offers management training to help you better manage your projects.