Why Strategy Often Gets Squeezed Out of Execution

By The Olivia
Independent Content Strategist for the China Market
This post is part of the “Content Strategy” series. Click here to view the series introduction and why it was created.

Many projects start with a strategy. The direction is usually clear. But after a certain point, it stops being mentioned. This can happen anywhere. In China, it tends to happen earlier—and more completely.

Execution moves fast, and strategy gets left behind

At the beginning, people may still reference the strategy deck during meetings. But after a few rounds, the deadlines get tight, resources hit limits, and requirements start shifting. There’s no time left to revisit the original document. The team needs to launch. To deliver. To stay on schedule.

Especially as deadlines approach, even when someone feels the project is veering off, it’s safer to just finish it. Asking “Is this still on strategy?” feels slow. In that moment, strategy can seem unrealistic.

But strategy is supposed to help execution move forward

A good strategy should be clear and executable. It’s not just a good-looking deck. It’s not just a one-time alignment document from kickoff. It should be something that still works during execution—something that helps adjust when things shift, and something that holds the line when things drift too far.

It’s a tool that should stay with the project as it moves forward—not something that gets left behind at the start.

To make that happen, the strategist’s effort isn’t enough. The project itself needs to leave a bit of space for strategy to stay active. There are small things that can help:

• Schedule in moments where the strategy is meant to come back
• After 2–3 weeks of execution, check back against the original goals
• When content hits the third round of changes, revisit the structure
• Flag up front: which points in the project will we stop to confirm direction?

These aren’t about adding extra steps. They’re just ways to give strategy a way back in.

If there’s space like this, the project will likely feel steadier—and lighter—for everyone involved.

I wrote this because in China marketing, strategy gets sidelined more often than it should. And because a strategy that’s clearly written deserves to stay in the room—not just stay in the deck.

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