A Strategic Plan That Stays Connected to Your Work

The workspace is built around a hierarchical plan tree. At the top level you have the plan itself, with a name, description, start and end dates, reporting cadence, and whether it is visible to the public or internal only. Below the plan are nodes organized into levels. Level names are configurable per plan, you can call them Goals, Priorities, Objectives, Strategies, Initiatives, or whatever terminology your organization uses. Each node can have child nodes nested as many levels deep as your planning structure requires.

Each node can have indicators: specific measurable outcomes with a baseline value, a target value, a unit of measurement, a data source, and a tracking frequency. Indicator readings are logged over time to track progress toward each target. Activity linkage connects plan nodes to the operational activities already in your CRM (visits, tasks, surveys, and projects), so the plan is not separate from your work, it is the organizing structure for it.

Plan health is computed automatically from indicator readings and activity counts, giving managers a real-time view of where each goal stands without waiting for a formal reporting period.

Strategic plans that live in slide decks and PDFs are reviewed quarterly. Strategic plans that live in your CRM are visible every day.

Core Features

The tools that turn your strategic plan from a document into a working system.

Hierarchical Plan Tree
Build your plan structure using named levels at any depth. Use standard terminology (Goals, Objectives, Strategies) or customize level names to match your organization's planning vocabulary. Drag-and-drop reordering keeps the structure flexible as priorities evolve.
  • Unlimited nesting levels
  • Custom level name aliases per plan
  • Drag-and-drop node reordering
  • Parent-child relationships with full tree navigation
Measurable Indicators
Attach indicators to any plan node. Define the metric name, unit of measurement, baseline value, target value, target date, data source, and tracking frequency. Log readings over time and watch progress charts update. Health computation uses indicator performance to score each node.
  • Baseline and target value tracking
  • Custom unit of measurement
  • Multiple indicators per node
  • Automatic health computation from readings
Activity Linkage
Connect plan nodes directly to the CRM activities that advance them: visits, tasks, surveys, grant applications, prospect engagements, and events. The plan stops being a separate document and becomes the organizing structure that gives your daily work context and direction.
  • Link any CRM activity to any plan node
  • Activity count per node in tree view
  • Work and strategy connected in one system
  • No separate reporting assembly required
Real-Time Plan Health
Each node in the plan tree displays a health score computed from its indicators' progress toward targets. Roll up health from leaf nodes through parent nodes to see overall plan health at a glance. Identify which goals are on track, at risk, or need attention, without waiting for a quarterly review.
  • Automatic health score per node
  • Indicator progress drives health computation
  • Roll-up health through parent nodes
  • On-track, at-risk, and needs-attention visibility
Reporting Cadence
Each plan has a configurable reporting cadence: monthly, quarterly, annually, or custom. Cadence settings drive reminder workflows and reporting periods so your team knows when readings are due and managers know when to expect updates.
  • Monthly, quarterly, or annual cadence options
  • Reading due date awareness
  • Configurable per plan
  • Supports multiple active plans simultaneously
Public and Internal Plans
Plans can be designated as internal (staff only) or public (visible to community stakeholders). Public plans give boards, elected officials, and community members visibility into your organization's commitments and progress without granting access to operational CRM data.
  • Public and internal visibility modes
  • Board and stakeholder transparency option
  • Operational data remains separate
  • Progress sharing without full CRM access

Why Strategic Plans Fail, and How to Fix It

Strategic plans fail not because EDOs lack good intentions. They fail because the plan and the work live in different systems.

Disconnected Strategic Plans

  • Plan document updated manually at reporting periods
  • Activities not linked to strategic goals
  • Progress reported from memory and email
  • No indicator tracking between annual reviews
  • Staff do not see how daily work connects to strategy
  • Board sees polished slides, not real-time data

ExecutivePulse Strategic Planning

  • Plan nodes connected to CRM activities in real time
  • Activity counts update automatically
  • Indicator readings tracked continuously
  • Health scores visible between formal reporting periods
  • Every staff member can see how their work maps to the plan
  • Board can view public plan progress at any time

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from EDO leaders evaluating the Strategic Planning Workspace.

Yes. The ExecutivePulse team assists with structured data import during onboarding. Bring your existing plan structure, goals, and indicators and the team will work with you to map them into the workspace.
There is no fixed limit on nesting depth. Plans can be structured with as many levels as your organization's planning framework requires, whether that is three levels (goals, strategies, tactics) or six or more.
Yes. Each plan has configurable level aliases. If your organization uses Priority Areas, Key Initiatives, and Action Items rather than Goals, Objectives, and Strategies, you configure the aliases and those names appear throughout the workspace.
Yes. You can maintain multiple plans simultaneously, for example, a 5-year comprehensive economic development strategy alongside an annual program plan. Each plan has its own tree, indicators, and activity links.
Plans designated as public can be viewed by stakeholders without requiring them to log in to ExecutivePulse. This enables transparent reporting to boards, city councils, funders, and community members. Operational CRM data remains protected.

Ready to Make Your Strategic Plan Do Real Work?

See how the ExecutivePulse Strategic Planning Workspace connects your goals to your team's daily activity.

Schedule a Demo