I want to talk about that feeling of being stuck.
That feeling in your career where the problem just feels massive, overwhelming, and you have absolutely no idea where even to start. Here is the scenario that I want you to follow with me:
If you're like I was, or like many of the professionals I coach, you're technically sound and good at your job.
But you're just... stuck.
You're not getting noticed, you're not getting promoted, and you're certainly not getting paid what you're worth.
For over 30 years, I've navigated the corporate world - surviving reorganizations, managing teams, and making the terrifying leap from a stable 23-year job into the world of contracting. And in all that time, I’ve learned that a problem only feels overwhelming when you don't have a system or an approach to deal with it.
That's what I want to share with you today. It's the simple, 3-step logical framework I've developed.
I call it the "ABC Framework," and it's the foundation of how I help professionals like you take back control.
"A" is for ASSESS
You can't fix what you can't see. It's that simple. The first step, always, is to stop and diagnose the real problem, not just the symptoms you're feeling. So many of us are just running on a treadmill, putting out the same fires over and over, and we never pause to ask why the fires keep starting.
I'll give you a personal example. I once started a new senior project manager role, and I was just drowning in documents. The work was piled so high I felt like I'd never get on top of it. I was completely overwhelmed. My instinct was to just work faster, work later, and muscle through it.
But I forced myself to stop. I had to assess the situation. What was the real problem? The problem wasn't the volume of work; it was the lack of a system. So, I stopped doing the work and created my "3-Month Command Center" - a system to assess, prioritize, and manage the flow of information. That system became my foundation for success in that role.
"B" is for BRIDGE
This is the part that so many technical professionals miss. Your value is useless if it's not understood by the people who make decisions. The "Bridge" is the skill of translating your brilliant technical work into the only language that leadership understands: the language of business.
I once won a major long-term contract on a single 1-hour phone call. It wasn't because I had the most technical skills (though I had them). It was because I didn't list a single technical skill until the very end. For the first 25 minutes, I just asked them questions. I assessed their pain, and then I built a bridge of trust by showing them exactly how my skills would solve their specific business problem and save them from risk.
"C" is for COMMAND
This is where it all comes together. "Command" is about you becoming confident about the work you do and the career direction you want to pursue. It's about taking proactive control instead of passively waiting to be noticed, waiting for a promotion, or waiting for a raise.
This phase is about action. It's about having the confidence to take charge of your path.
For me, this was the hardest step. I was terrified to leave my 23-year full-time career to go contracting. I had a family, a mortgage, and a lot of fear. But I had assessed my situation, I saw the bridge to a new future, and I knew that to get what I was truly worth, I had to take the leap of faith and have the confidence.
Here's a Quick Win for You: The next time you're in a meeting and the conversation starts to get confusing or go in circles, stand up. Grab the whiteboard marker. Say, "Hold on, let me see if I can draw this out so we're all on the same page." That simple physical act of creating clarity... that's an act of Command.
Now, It's Your Turn
This "ABC" framework isn't just a theory. It's a proven, repeatable system.
You Assess your skills and the situation to find your true value.
You Bridge that value to the people who matter, which is how you Get Noticed.
You Command your career path, which is how you Get Prommoted and Get Paid.
It's the exact framework that forms the foundation of my 8-week coaching program.
I hope this gives you a clear, logical place to start.
You're not "stuck." You're just at Step A.
All the best,
Sarfraz.
P.S. If my story resonates and you feel like you're on a long, winding road without a clear map, let's change that.
A career built with intention doesn't happen by accident; it happens by design. In my complimentary 45-minute strategy session, we'll design the blueprint for your next career move.