Digital Storytelling “Make a manual of yourself”

Training in Maks vzw has a very diverse workforce, they come from all over the world and have a thousand and one perspectives. These different views and ideas make our wealth. But once in a while, it is good to reflect on all that talent.

During the summer, Maks vzw traditionally organises digital storytelling workshops for its own staff. The aim is to encourage self-reflection and engage in team building. We mix up all teams and all staff members to participate. This year’s theme was: Make a manual for yourself.

A dozen staff members first received a five-day training as digital storytelling facilitators so that they could conduct the workshops with their colleagues in rotation. Besides the traditional dixit cards to tell stories, the first task was: compare yourself to a household appliance or other machine. It became a coffee machine or a camera. A colleague identified themselves as a wolf.

Essential manual
The second assignment was: look for the different elements essential for a manual: how to install this machine, what to do in case of technical malfunctions, what if the machine goes silent, what does the machine need to run smoothly?

All questions eventually lead to more than 60 digital stories, but also colleagues now know that you are in need of a chat or a strong coffee now and then. And you need to let off steam from time to time when you are under a lot of stress.

And at the end of the training, we exchange stories during a presentation session among colleagues and it’s time for lots of applause and a real Maks vzw party with the full package.

One participant compared themselves to a coffee machine, another colleague to a wolf