Podcast Summary: Coaching for Leaders

Episode 754: Five Steps to Solve a Problem, with Monica Chartier

Date: October 18, 2025
Host: Dave Stachowiak
Guest: Monica Chartier (Group Product Manager, Tech Industry & Coaching for Leaders Fellow)

Episode Overview

This episode explores a practical five-step framework for solving complex organizational problems, rooted in design thinking and commonly used in product management and agile environments. Host Dave Stachowiak and guest Monica Chartier bring the model to life by sharing how they applied it in real time to improve the Coaching for Leaders Academy member experience. The conversation emphasizes empathy, data-informed iteration, and peer-led leadership as keys to successful, sustainable change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origins and Power of Design Thinking

[02:48 – 04:28]

• Monica introduces the five-step problem-solving framework, inspired by design thinking from Stanford’s d.school.
• The approach centers customers (or those affected by a problem) and draws from agile development practices.
• Monica emphasizes:
  "It can help improve the quality of our problem solving when we bring them into the solutioning and really help craft solutions that will directly solve the problem from their perspective." (Monica, 03:34)

2. Five-Step Framework Breakdown

Step 1: Empathy

[04:52 – 10:33]

• Begin with empathy for the people affected; talk directly with them to understand their true needs and perspectives.
• Dave and Monica recount how the post-Academy experience discussion began with a question: “What’s next?” for graduates.
• Listening sessions revealed a gap—members wanted continued group coaching and safe peer cohorts post-Academy.
• Dave remarks:
  "That was really where the empathy piece started for me, just that listening and observing… you said something that made me think, okay, we need to answer this question better." (Dave, 08:08)

Step 2: Define the Problem

[10:33 – 13:06]

• Gather data to clarify the real challenge.
• Conducted community surveys (shout-out to Jess Britt, another fellow) with a high 75% response rate.
• The survey clarified the unmet need: a community landing/continuation experience post-Academy, especially around small group support.
• Monica:
  "We ended up looking for additional information from a broader group of people...helped us hone in on the problem statement." (Monica, 11:18)

Step 3: Ideate

[13:06 – 16:21]

• Develop multiple hypotheses and possible solutions.
• Experimented with fellows (like Monica) co-facilitating Academy sessions, inspired by Dave’s experience at Dale Carnegie.
• Debriefed after sessions using Kujo Teschner’s feedback model, surfacing further opportunities.
• Dave:
  "It sort of seems obvious now… but at the time that was like a big insight that we would not have gotten to if we hadn't gone down the path first of trying in a different way." (Dave, 15:53)

Step 4: Prototype

[16:21 – 19:01]

• Test solutions with small experiments.
• Prototyped peer-led “Momentum Groups,” small leadership cohorts facilitated by fellows rather than always by Dave.
• Monica describes them as a “brain trust”—leaders support each other with third-party perspective and mutual encouragement.
• Monica:
  "That was the second iteration… you have this great group of people… to champion you and help you work through tough problems at work, who aren't directly involved." (Monica, 17:08)

Step 5: Test, Learn, Adapt

[19:01 – 23:34]

• Iteratively gather feedback, refine, and adapt the solution.
• Learned that members wanted more predictability (structure for sessions) and more frequent meetings.
• Adjusted based on minimum viable product principles—start small, adjust rapidly.
• Dave’s insight:
  "If you're not occasionally disappointing people, you're probably not pushing the envelope enough… Sometimes you just have to try stuff and sometimes things aren't going to work." (Dave, 21:18)
• Emphasized that the process is cyclical, not linear; ongoing conversations drive continuous improvement.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the necessity of empathy:
  "It's really easy to maybe we've been in their shoes before and we think...I know what the problem is. But we really aren't the people who are in that situation today."
  — Monica Chartier [05:13]

• On the value of small, collaborative leadership groups:
  "It's like not being alone in your leadership role... you have this great group of people who are there to champion you and help you work through tough problems."
  — Monica Chartier [17:11]

• On prototyping and learning:
  "Start small, start with the first draft… leave space for knowing you're going to be shifting as you go."
  — Dave Stachowiak [19:54]

• On iteration:
  "Very much so—yes. And it is intended to be used cyclically."
  — Monica Chartier [23:34]

• Monica’s closing reflection:
  "I am constantly amazed by the number of use cases I see this framework being applicable for… it is just so iterative and so applicable to different scenarios to just make better decisions with better data."
  — Monica Chartier [25:54]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:48] Introduction to Design Thinking & Framework
• [04:52] Step 1: Empathy—Where the journey started
• [10:33] Step 2: Defining the Problem through data
• [13:06] Step 3: Ideation and hypotheses
• [16:21] Step 4: Prototyping peer-led groups
• [19:01] Step 5: Testing, learning, and adaptation
• [23:34] Emphasizing the cyclical nature of the model
• [24:42] Free downloadable guide preview
• [25:54] Monica’s lesson: Applicability of the framework

Additional Resources and Follow-up

• Download Monica’s Five-Step Problem Solving Guide:
  coaching4leaders.com/monica [24:42]
• No login required, with examples and leadership context tips.
• Monica’s LinkedIn linked in the guide for community feedback.

Recommended Related Episodes

• [569] The Way to Make Struggles More Productive – Sarah Stein Greenberg (Stanford d.school)
• [660] How to Prevent a Team from Repeating Mistakes – Kujo Teschner (debriefing expert)
• [721] How to Lead Engaging Meetings – Jess Britt (survey & facilitation fellow)

Final Thoughts

This episode is a hands-on masterclass in applying design thinking to real organizational challenges. The dialogue models empathic leadership and experimentation, showing how involving stakeholders and iteratively prototyping solutions can lead to lasting, community-driven change—whether in professional settings or anywhere decisions impact groups of people.