Feat Of Clay

Don't expect to leave a business modeling session with an itemized action plan. Modeling is helpful when a company needs to go in a new direction. It's good for spurring creative thinking, suggesting different solutions and getting people to break out of ruts. "If you're off-base," says Ward, "it paves the way for a breakthrough."

But while you may come up with broad insights, you're unlikely to be able to model the details of implementation. And your insight may not even be about business. "It's got nothing to do with solving a business problem," says Williams. "It's got more to do with understanding yourself. As a result of that, however, you can solve business problems better."

Modeling carries some risk. The biggest, Ward says, is that in modeling your business in front of others, your failings will become obvious to all. "It's incredibly accurate," Ward says. "People aren't able to fool the process."

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