Method Method: Bird-in-Hand

Method to develop ideas for new projects based on own experiences and competencies. Based on Bird-in-Hand from Effectuation.

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In this method, participants develop different innovative project ideas in a process that starts with their backgrounds, experiences and existing competencies and ends with learning objectives, network cards and potential partners.

Prior to the method of a workshop, participants must answer reformulated questions from the Bird-in-Hand phase from Sarasvathy’s principles of Effectuation: What is your background, what have you worked with before and what did you learn from it? The questions may be supplemented with a video introduction to Effectuation.

At the start of the workshop, a corresponding roadmap, available under downloads, can be handed out along with a template for a logbook. If so, both should be presented briefly. The participants are seated at group tables of 5-6 people from different disciplines.

‘Bird-in-Hand’ is the first of three methods that have been developed in relation to a co-curriculum internship at the University targeted at supporting students in establishing innovative or entrepreneurial academic internships. However, the methods can be used to develop all kinds of projects where the content is based on a combination of academic objectives, partner collaboration(s) and effectuation theory.

About Bird-in-Hand

This phase in effectuation is about creating solutions with the resources available here and now. That means:

Who are you?
What do you know?
Who do you know?

This kind of competence clarification will make it explicit to the students themselves and to others what their academic skills can contribute/be used for. On interdisciplinary courses – where students have to communicate their academic skills to others who have different skills – they can get new perspectives on their own skills and discover new opportunities to put their academic skills into play in new ways (in relation to other areas). This competence clarification helps to make students’ projects emanate from their academic skills.

About Saravathy’s principles for effectuation

Saras Sarasvathy’s theory of Effectuation (2001) describes an approach to making decisions and performing actions in entrepreneurship processes, where the next best step is identified by assessing the resources available in order to achieve the goals, while continuously balancing these goals with resources and actions.

Instructions

Depending on the number, participants are seated at group tables of 5-6 people coming from different disciplines.

10 minutes: Introduction to the programme

15 minutes: Presentation of each other at the tables and short introductory exercises if they do not know each other.

25-30 minutes: In one-minute conversations in pairs, each person presents a challenge they have solved earlier on their programme or outside, and the other person gives their reflections on what skills they think it demonstrates. Then they switch. The exercise is repeated 3-4 times with new partners and perhaps with new challenges before the participants individually write down their own reflections.

15 minutes: Participants list skills and capabilities on a board for the whole group, so they may take inspiration from each other. There is no compulsion to list own answers. Questions about understanding specific words on the board are discussed jointly.

15 minutes: In the groups, participants brainstorm on possible answers to the question: ‘What would you like to learn or become better at?’ – they start by making individual post-its with ideas for 3-5 minutes before sharing them on the table in the group, and more post-its can be added subsequently.

15 minutes: In the groups, participants brainstorm on possible answers to the question: ‘Who do you know or who would you like to work together with?’ – they start by making individual post-its with ideas for 3-5 minutes before sharing them on the table in the group, and more post-its can be added subsequently.

15 minutes: Participants list their ideas on a board for the whole group, so they may take inspiration from or help each other. There is no compulsion to list own answers. Clarification questions about specific partners or contact words on the board are discussed jointly.

15 minutes: Individually, participants can now spend the last part completing their roadmap with learning objectives and network cards, and writing final reflections on their logbook sheet. Round off by asking participants to identify five people in their (relatively) close network from the previous exercises with whom to talk to about their experiences. It is important to emphasise that they should not yet contact potential partners unless they know them well.

If you are able to yourself or know someone who can, you might give a presentation on effectuation theory.

Worth Considering

At the start of the workshop, a corresponding roadmap, available under downloads, can be handed out along with a template for a logbook. If so, both should be presented briefly at the start of the workshop. It may also be an idea to invite colleagues/fellow students, etc. to the first part as co-facilitators, who can help the participants to identify existing competencies.

Preparation

Prior to the workshop, participants must answer reformulated questions from the Bird-in-Hand phase: What is your background, what have you worked with before and what did you learn from it? The questions may be supplemented with a video introduction to Effectuation.

Post-its, markers and a board (or empty wall for post-its) are needed for this method as well as a room with plenty of space for the participants.

Examples Of Use

‘Bird-in-Hand’ is the first of three methods that have been developed in relation to a co-curriculum internship at the University targeted at supporting students in establishing innovative or entrepreneurial academic internships. The two other methods can be found below, and the whole project is described in the case ‘Three effectuation methods for innovative practice projects’ on the Toolbox website.

However, the methods can be used to develop all kinds of projects where the content is based on a combination of academic objectives, partner collaboration(s) and effectuation theory.

Sources

Sarasvathy, S (2001): What makes entrepreneurs entrepreneurial. The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration

Sarasvathy, S et. al. (2011): Effectual Entrepreneurship. Routledge

Kristiansson, Michael René (2018): Entreprenør-Proces-Projekt. Hans Reitzels Forlag.

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