Awareness is the outcome of training. Implementation is its purpose.

Training project managers, whether young professionals at the start of their careers or seasoned practitioners with decades of experience, has always been a pleasure for me. Not only because I enjoy sharing my research and practical experience, but also because every training session becomes a learning opportunity in itself.

The questions participants ask, their critical remarks and even the informal conversations during breaks often reveal valuable insights. Behind every question lies experience, and behind every challenge lies a different perspective on project management. As a trainer, I may be standing in front of the room, but I rarely leave without having learned something myself.

This week, I had the pleasure of teaching the concepts from my book "The Data-Driven Project Manager" to a group of experienced project managers at Amazon Robotics in Hamme, Belgium. It was not my first visit. Years ago, I delivered training sessions there when the company was still known as Cloostermans. Since Amazon acquired the company in 2022 and integrated it into its robotics and mechatronics organization, the site, now known as Amazon Mechatronics, has grown considerably in both scale and professionalism.

What struck me most, however, was not something unique to Amazon. In fact, it is a challenge I encounter in many organizations.

Project managers are expected to maintain an overview of the project portfolio, monitor progress, identify risks and support decision-making. Yet they depend heavily on the engineers, designers and technical experts who possess the detailed knowledge, provide estimates, and understand the practical realities of the work.

Data-driven project management cannot exist without this collaboration.

A project manager may have dashboards, reports and portfolio metrics, but these are only as valuable as the information that feeds them. Likewise, technical experts may have deep knowledge of the project details, but without a broader project perspective, it becomes difficult to understand priorities, dependencies and strategic implications.

This is why one of the most important objectives of training is not merely to transfer knowledge. It is to create awareness.

Awareness that project managers need their technical experts.

Awareness that technical experts need their project managers.

Awareness that successful projects depend on a shared responsibility for providing accurate information, interpreting data correctly and making informed decisions together.

Data does not replace collaboration; it strengthens it.

The most successful organizations are not those with the most sophisticated tools or the largest datasets. They are the organizations where people understand how their individual contributions fit into the bigger picture and where they are willing to engage in open dialogue to improve decisions.

Training can initiate that conversation. It can provide new concepts, frameworks and techniques. But the real value emerges afterward, when participants return to their projects and decide to apply what they have learned.

Reflecting on this experience, I am reminded that awareness is the outcome of training.
 Implementation is its purpose. The difference between the two is the willingness to apply new knowledge with an open and receptive mindset.

That is where learning becomes improvement, and where training ultimately creates value.