ARC – Facilitate Listening to One’s Inner Truth

A Coaching Model By Cauvery Bhalla, Transformational Coach, INDIA

ARC Coaching Model for Transformation

Everyone has a story. I believe that people come to a coaching session because they have a story that plays in their minds over and over. A story whose characters don’t seem to spark inspiration and where the end doesn’t seem to be quite satisfactory.

My purpose is to empower people to re-write their own stories whose ending sparks joy, satisfaction, inspiration, and a sense of achievement. It is to help them realize that they are the central character that has the power to pivot the story in any direction it wants.

To do this, the character must take the inner journey of transformation called the “Character ARC.” My purpose is to help individuals achieve their desired destination. The visual I have chosen symbolizes the client’s journey. The pen signifies that the client has complete power and freedom to create this journey and take it in any direction they want.

ARC Key Pivot Points

In any script the character ARC has key pivot points, my model is about understanding this narrative and facilitating their transformation.

A – Amplify

The purpose of my coaching is to facilitate listening to one’s inner truth. Here we provide the client a safe space to express themselves. Amplify is about creating a deep connection where the client can state everything that is going on in their mind without feeling inhibited or judged. At this stage, the client feels comfortable going beyond the stated obvious concern and examining what outcome will truly satisfy them. For example, a client may come into the session wanting to decide if they want to sell their flat or rent it and may discover that what they truly want is to sell the flat but without upsetting the mother-in-law (who is a key player in the client’s life.) Or a client may come into the session stating that they want an action plan to start looking for a new job and discover that they need to do a better job of managing the time pressures of the current job. These discoveries can dramatically alter the course of action for the client. It can help them move in the direction of what they truly desire – not focus on the symptom but address the cause.

R – Reflect

Here we refrain from jumping into problem-solving mode. Instead, an important step in the process is to look at the goal in the context of one’s entire life. Is there something of importance that the client will need to give up or compromise on to achieve their goal? How can this goal, perhaps, positively impact other aspects of the client’s life? This discussion brings to the foreground any potential derailers in achieving the goal. Additionally, building positive connections with other aspects of life brings a sense of harmony and motivation. Here we also reflect on the client’s biggest challenges in achieving the goal. We understand the role that the client’s perspective and values play in these challenges. This step helps the client realize a more personalized plan of action best suited for their context and needs. This builds confidence in the client’s ability to carry out the ideas generated by the client.

C – Create

In the last phase of the session, we focus on action. The client comes up with a set of actions that they are excited about. The operative word is ‘excited’. Most of the time, actions are not taken not because they are not important, but because they are not exciting or engaging. Here we look at a shift from ‘I should do/could do’ to ‘I want to do’. In this phase, we closely look for non-verbal cues of excitement about and commitment toward stated actions. The client thinks about what could make these actions more fun and engage them. These could be simple tweaks such as adding emoticons to the calendar once the action is done or creating colorful post-its as reminders to take action. It could also include celebrating the most difficult steps that the client has taken. The client also thinks about who can keep them accountable towards their goal – this could be a partner, parent, friend, or even themselves.

ARC – Amplify | Reflect | Create

Like I said in the beginning, everyone has a story. I believe that people come to a coaching session because they have a story that plays in their minds over and over. My model enables clients to understand the plot, the narrative, the characters and re-write the script. It empowers any individual to amplify their inner truth and create the reality that they want. A reality that they genuinely seek and desire.