The ESS approach accelerates the solutions to these challenges through the guidance of the strategic planning efforts of an organization by focusing directly on those elements that will give life energy to the future. The organization's life energy is in the people. It is made explicit by dialogue between and among their internal and external stakeholders. The focus is on strategy development and formulation that starts with an inquiry into strengths and opportunities where inquiry is orchestrated through appreciative dialogue. A compelling quest for strategic planning includes explicit consideration of the organization's purpose – its mission, the customers it serves, and the stakeholders it impacts. This inquiry enables participants to examine, clarify, and consciously evolve their desired purpose and commitment to themselves and their organization.

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