Episode 5: How to start asking better questions with Stephen Shapiro

What if the reason your innovation efforts keep failing is not because you lack ideas, but because you are asking less questions than you should? Stephen Shapiro, author and creator of a 20,000 person innovation practice at Accenture, joins the Activate Innovation Lounge to unpack why organizations default to suggestion boxes, how confirmation bias sabotages even the best solutions, and why the baggage claim story he has told for years still stops leaders in their tracks. This conversation digs into challenge-centered innovation, the role of middle managers as the permafrost of innovation, and how AI is reshaping not just the tools we use, but the questions we need to ask. If you are tired of spinning wheels on ideas that do not create value, this episode will change how you approach your next challenge. Listen now on the Activate Innovation Lounge. For those curious to learn more, take a look at the Invisible Solutions for 25 lenses to reframe your problem statement. Also, Stephen's new book You're Not Playing with a Full Deck: Why the Coworkers Who Drive You Crazy Are Your Unfair Advantage is coming on April 21, 2026 and a useful guide to driving innovation and collaboration for breakthrough results.