Elate

What does Elate do? How can it help my team? My organization? Like every SaaS business, we get these questions all the time. Well, here’s how Jacob Bracken, CFO at PERQ, described his experience: “Before Elate, strategic planning felt haphazard—spread across spreadsheets, PowerPoints, and Word docs. Plans changed constantly, and our meetings were mostly just status updates.” If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. One way Elate helps companies execute is by shifting the focus from what’s been done to what needs to happen next. Instead of spending meetings on updates, teams come prepared—ready to focus on the work that actually moves objectives forward. As Jacob put it: “Now, our conversations are action-oriented. We’re talking about risks, roadblocks, and how to stay on track—not just checking boxes.” For many teams, strategy lives in disconnected tools, making it hard to turn plans into action. Elate helps bring strategy to life—keeping teams aligned, accountable, and focused on execution.

One of the most common gaps in strategic planning is the disconnect between an Operating Plan and the Strategy itself. ?? Often, the Operating Plan—whether managed in a pro forma or spreadsheet—feels like it belongs solely to Finance. However, it’s the foundation that shapes your entire Strategy. To drive alignment, organizations must ensure their Strategy directly ties back to key Operating Outcomes, as these are what the executive team—and ultimately, the CEO—is held accountable for. If those metrics aren’t being met, the Strategy needs to be adjusted accordingly. How are you ensuring alignment between the two?

?? Higher Education ?? is one of the few industries that must balance decades of tradition with the urgent need for effective execution. Universities invest heavily in strategic planning—but without the right execution framework, those plans rarely drive impact. One Chief of Staff at a leading university summed it up best: ?? “We have a five-year Strategic Plan that exists online, but it’s become more of a task required for state funding—not an inspirational, guiding light for our staff, students, and alumni.” That’s why many higher ed institutions are turning to Elate to: ? Align faculty around university-wide goals ? Automate updates to improve decision-making ? Identify risks before they become roadblocks Learn how at the link in comments below. ??

Pi Day may have been Friday, but hey, we weren’t in the office to celebrate. ?? Don’t @ us.

?? STRATEGY ALERT ?? Here’s a common pattern we see all the time with organizations we work with at Elate: ? Leadership rolls out a big, bold strategy in Q1. ? Employees get excited. They start working towards key objectives. ? By Q2, things slow down. Strategy takes a backseat to daily firefighting. ? By Q3, execution is scattered, updates are lagging, and leadership is frustrated. Sound familiar? It’s not a lack of effort—it’s a lack of visibility and connection. The best organizations don’t just set strategy once a year and hope it sticks. They build rituals that keep execution on track: Clear operating rhythms—so teams know when, where, and how strategy is reviewed. Cross-team visibility—so objectives aren’t stuck in silos. Celebrating progress—because momentum matters. Strategy isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it exercise. It’s a living, evolving process—and the companies that embrace that are the ones that actually execute. #strategy #strategicplanning #strategyexecution

?? Project Management ≠ Strategic Planning ?? Organizations often blur the lines between project management and strategic planning. While both are crucial, they serve different purposes—and confusing them can lead to a cluttered, siloed approach that lacks true business impact. Project Management ? It's about tasks, milestones, and getting from point A to point B. Focused and action-oriented, but typically too granular when viewed through a strategic lens. Strategic Planning ?? This is your big-picture vision. It's cross-functional and long-term, aligning teams across the company. When we mistake project tasks for strategy, we end up with long lists of objectives—but without real clarity on what success looks like. As Abby Parker shares, the key is bringing these two together in a way that makes sense. Keeping them distinct but connected ensures you understand not just what you're doing, but how it's impacting your business. The goal? Clear objectives, measurable outcomes, and the ability to pivot if things aren't going as planned. As we execute in 2025, let’s stop checking off boxes and start achieving meaningful results. #strategicplanning #projectmanagement #strategysnack #strategy

Every year starts with big plans. But by Q2, a lot of teams realize their strategy has turned into a list of disconnected projects. This happens because... - We start measuring effort instead of outcomes - We being prioritizing activity over impact - We start saying 'yes' to everything instead of focusing on what matters most A strategic plan should do more than track work—it should bring clarity on what matters and why. That starts with making a clear distinction between: ?? Objectives = The measurable outcomes that define success ?? Tactics = The work that supports those outcomes If your strategy is packed with tactics but missing clear objectives, maybe it’s time to rethink the approach. TLDR: Execution isn’t about doing more—it’s about making sure the right things get done. And that’s where the best teams win.

As we continue to grow and innovate at Elate, we’re excited to welcome another incredible addition to the team! Join us in welcoming Andrew Morin, our new Principal Software Engineer! Andrew will be leading the design, architecture, and development of major features within our platform, helping us build and scale Elate for the future. A true collaborator and mentor, he’ll be leading key initiatives within the engineering team to drive innovation, iterate quickly, and create solutions that empower Strategy and Ops leaders to execute with clarity. We’d say we can’t wait to see the impact Andrew makes—but he’s been pushing code since day two. Welcome to the team! ??

Three months into the year, and you know what that means… update fatigue is setting in. ?? Updates that were “just a quick check-in”? Quietly slipping. The strategic plan you kicked off with excitement? Wearing off. Objectives that were deemed top priorities? Daily tasks have taken over. It’s not that employees don’t care about progress—they just don’t see why these updates matter. Update fatigue is real—but it’s fixable. The best companies make strategy updates a two-way street, showing employees why their work matters. Edition 40 dives into the heart of update fatigue, what’s causing it, and how to fix it. Welcome to The Pulse.

What are some of the common mistakes organizations make when it comes to #strategicplanning?