The new year is rapidly approaching, and for Strategy and Operations Leaders, it can be an overwhelming time.
We are fortunate to collaborate with thousands of these leaders who are all striving to lay the groundwork for a successful 2024 and explore new approaches to achieve company goals. However, as many Strategy and Operations leaders can attest, this is easier said than done.
Between the strategic planning offsites, removing obstacles for sales teams to meet their targets, and ensuring the success of strategic initiatives, finding the right balance between executing 2023 plans and planning for 2024 can be a daunting task.
And let’s not sugarcoat it; 2023 didn’t unfold as most companies had hoped.
We often heard about a lack of prioritization, strategic goals that lived in siloes, and misalignment between employee-level tactics and the overarching strategy defined by leadership.
As a result, Strategy and Operations Leaders are actively seeking ways to kickstart 2024 on the right foot: wIth a unified plan that is clearly defined, visible, and intuitive for team members to understand what the company’s goals are and their role in helping the organization achieve them.
That is where Elate comes into the picture.
We built Elate to serve as the connective tissue between the strategic vision set at the leadership level and the tactical execution required to bring that vision to life. Think of Elate as the platform that harnesses the electricity from your executive team and takes that down throughout every area of your business.
We’re here to help.
Why Your 2024 Strategy Cannot Wait Until Next Year
Do you want to ensure 2024 gets off to a great start? Of course, you do.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement a new solution at this time of the year. Time is already limited, and with only two months left in 2023, finding the time to put something in place can be daunting.
First, let's acknowledge that the perpetual challenge of having more work than time is a reality. The key question is whether the success of your company's 2024 strategy is a priority.
Can you afford to operate as you did in 2023? Can you continue living in a constant state of chaos and misalignment? Where will your organization be 12 months from now if you maintain the same haphazard approach to reviewing your company's strategy, objectives, and challenges?
No one can answer those questions but you.
Every day, we have conversations with leaders interested in implementing Elate for 2024 but struggling to identify the right timeline to do so.
However, if you aim to change the trajectory of your business in 2024, you must be willing to revisit the framework in place today. And it can’t wait until March, February, or even January. If you intend to roll out the strategy, conduct a company kickoff, and establish a platform that offers a unified view of your strategy for employees in Q1 2024, you’ve already missed the opportunity.
Why?
You'd be starting the year playing catch-up while expecting employees to stay aligned and focused without providing the means to do so.
By the time Q1 arrives, your strategy should be in a centralized location. This way, when you communicate your goals for the year, there will be a single source of truth for employees to reference and align their work with your business's themes.
Every year, we hear from Strategy and Operations Leaders who say, 'Once we build our strategy in December and communicate it to the team in January, then we will be ready for a solution to help automate reporting and tracking.'
January comes and goes, and they find themselves in February with a growing list of initiatives since the all-hands kickoff.
And then the snowball rolls right into the end of Q1, picking up speed in Q2.
Paving the Way for a Successful 2024
For Strategy and Operations Leaders, Q4 is the time to establish a proactive framework, secure leadership buy-in, and create a dynamic, unified view of your strategy to unveil in January, setting you up for success in the new year. With automated updates, streamlined reporting, and a set cadence for reviewing objectives in place, you can truly hit the ground running.
Admittedly, it may add a little more to your plate in the short term, and we recognize that. But what is the cost to not spending the time now? The long-term benefits of implementing a solution that enhances your company's ability to deliver on Strategic Initiatives far outweigh the initial time investment putting the foundation in place. The extra time invested today will result in much less on your plate next year and position your entire organization for even greater success.
Unlike traditional OKR or performance management tools, Elate brings together how organizations build, execute and review their strategic plan in a dynamic, iterative way. If you’d like to spend 20 minutes learning how we are partnering alongside high-growth organizations like Seismic, Buildertrend, Paystand and countless others, we would love to connect.
Regardless if it’s a fit for you right now, we can guarantee valuable insights from the conversation.
Feel free to reach out to our team or request a demo below. We’re here to make sure 2024 is a year that brings your strategy and operating plan into alignment.
