Feat Of Clay

Nobody's expecting the business schools of prominent universities to endow a chair in clay modeling. But Ward says it should be recognized as a legitimate tool for strategizing. "Business is a wide-open endeavor," he says. "You have to tap every resource you've got to make it work."

And sometimes the less conventional routes work. Haughton had previously hired two traditional consultants to help her write a business plan. "It didn't bring me to the heart of my business," she says, "so I got rid of them. I couldn't function in the way they thought my business should go."

But she's taken Ward's words and run with them. Back in her office, Haughton's constructed a large sculpture of clay, wire and magnets. There's a big money sign, a heart ("because I'm into caring") and a model of a switch ("because I never turn off my business"), among other symbols. She tests variations of her plan by moving modeled objects around on the wire framework.

Some entrepreneurs may find the idea of sculpting their plans ludicrous. But Haughton says modeling helped her become more assertive, especially about turning down opportunities that didn't fit into her strategy. At the same time, it helped her appreciate her 13 employees more.

Modeling is not for everyone. But for those who've tried and failed at doing it by the book, doing it by the hands may be a viable option. "Some people want to do it the textbook way," says Haughton. "That works for some people, but it didn't work for me."

This article was originally published in the November 1998 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Feat Of Clay.