How Copilot can Boost Your Productivity

Over the past few weeks, I’ve met with a number of executives across our customers who have been happy with Copilot in their orgs, but want to get even more out of their own daily use. Here are three lessons I've been sharing, plus example prompts that I like to use: 1. STOP SEARCHING, START RESEARCHING When you’re just getting started, it's easy to approach the chat window like a search engine. Instead, focus on your larger goal and use Copilot as a research assistant to help you get there. Don’t just look for that email [person] shared with you to get ready for your 1:1. Ask for the actions you’ve been assigned and the context you need, structured in a format that you find useful. For example: Summarize every email from [person] in the past few weeks. But I'd like the details presented in a table, with a column for date, another for topic, another for key details, and another with any actions for me. If there are any deadlines please include those too. Then list 3 things I should prioritize to ensure I meet their expectations and deadlines. 2. STOP SUMMARIZING, START INTERROGATING Summaries can end often end up too simple, especially if you don’t provide much context. Instead, interrogate your documents by asking questions that you care about: What arguments are being made, what is the support for each, and where the strengths and weaknesses. Follow up with questions that let you go deeper, or stress test your own writing and seek ways to improve. Example prompt: This is a really long paper - give me the short summary of the discussion, and then a list of bullet points that outline the argument in a linear fashion. Then give me some strengths and weaknesses of each. 3. STOP ASKING FOR INFORMATION, START ASKING FOR FEEDBACK Asking Copilot to generate new content can be helpful, but I get a lot of value in asking Copilot for tailored feedback and advice from a particular point of view. I might ask Copilot how I did in achieving my goal of leading a meeting with empathy and accountability, or to give me feedback on a document from a particular persona. Example prompt: Take on the persona of a 30-year Microsoft veteran, high performer, and trusted confidant to Microsoft leadership whose expertise is asking deep insightful questions to move our organizational forward and recognizes new opportunities business model and integration opportunities. Based on all the information [persons] have shared only in the last month through email, Teams, SharePoint, and internal meetings please provide me a table of the top 10 most important topics that they care about that we should brainstorm in our team meeting. Please a table that includes the columns 1. topic 2. why they care about each topic 3. current status on each topic 4. any known challenges on each topic 5. question I can ask to facilitate a meaningful conversation and help solve a problem on each topic. Thanks to Dan Narloch, Karuana Gatimu, Sneha Trivedi, and others for the inspiration!

I'll be honest. Before joining Microsoft, I wasn't using AI in my daily work as much as I could have. I wasn’t skeptical, but I hadn’t yet embraced the full potential of integrating AI into my workflows. That has changed completely, and now, with tools like Copilot, I can’t imagine working without it.   The most noticeable shift has been in how Copilot helps me prepare for meetings. Whether it's gathering insights from a series of documents, transcribing conversations, or pulling together key data points, it’s become an invaluable tool for streamlining my prep. I can dive straight into the substance of meetings with my team or customers, knowing that I’m fully backed by AI-generated insights that would have taken hours to compile.   Thanks to Copilot, my team and I are freed up to focus on what truly matters—driving strategic initiatives forward—rather than getting bogged down in administrative tasks. The results are clear: more impactful meetings, faster decision-making, and a level of efficiency that was previously out of reach. How has AI changed the way you work?

After over 15 years in a corporate environment, I’ve learned 4 new things that simplifies the daunting tasks we face daily. Tuesday morning, I attended the opening speech at Microsoft Ignite and explored how AI is reshaping productivity on real examples! Seeing how Microsoft Copilot makes even complex workflows manageable was both exciting and practical. Here are a 4 features I found particularly helpful: 1️⃣ No more blank starts Whether you’re drafting a process flow or analyzing data, Copilot provides smart suggestions to get you started quickly and effectively. 2️⃣ Smarter meetings Copilot in Microsoft Teams doesn’t just listen—it extracts key points, summarizes discussions, and creates action items in real time. 3️⃣ Inbox overload, handled Outlook’s Copilot can prioritize emails, draft responses, and schedule follow-ups, helping to keep communication clear and efficient. 4️⃣ SharePoint, simplified Copilot agents in SharePoint can quickly review all the information stored there to provide you with the answer you need. No more wasting time searching through folders or trying to remember the name of that particular PDF. It’s inspiring to see how AI is transforming everyday work, making it not just faster but smarter. What about you—are you using AI tools already? Which ones have made a difference in your workflow? Comment below, I answer in first 24 hours! #AI #MicrosoftCopilot #CorporateLife

⚡️ 6 AI Tools I use to stay ahead — Inside & Outside Microsoft As an Engineering Leader at Microsoft and a LinkedIn Top Voice, I’m often asked: “How do you keep up with AI’s insane pace?” The answer: I build a daily system using AI tools both internal and external to think clearly, know what's happening around, and move fast. ✅ Within Microsoft These tools power my daily productivity at scale: 1. Copilot in Teams: Auto generates meeting recaps, next steps, and context so I never miss the big picture (my favorite). 2. Copilot Researcher (Word & Edge): Summarizes AI papers and longform research in seconds 3. Copilot Analyst (Excel): Turns raw data into instant insights and what-if scenarios ✅ Outside Microsoft These help me stay informed on the broader AI ecosystem: 1. ChatGPT with custom GPTs: For brainstorming, prototyping, and testing 2. Perplexity.ai: My go-to for fast, verified AI summaries and Q&A 3. Papers with Code: To track cutting-edge models coming up These tools aren’t just helping me work faster, they are helping me think better. What’s one AI tool (or workflow) you use that others should know about? #AIProductivity #MicrosoftCopilot #GenerativeAI #TechLeadership #Womenintech #Keynotespeaker #Engineering #LinkedInTopVoice #FutureOfWork #ToolsILove

Top 10 Microsoft Copilot Tips and Tricks to Supercharge Your Productivity Microsoft Copilot is revolutionizing how we work, offering smart tools to simplify tasks and boost efficiency. Check out these top 10 tips and tricks to make the most of this powerful assistant: 1. Contextual Browsing in Edge → Click the Copilot icon while browsing to get webpage highlights. → Summarize videos or ask questions about their content. → Quickly grasp key points without going through the entire material. 2. Effortless Branded Presentations → Turn a Word document into a PowerPoint presentation with Copilot. → It designs slides based on your content, saving you hours of work. → Customize presentations to align with your brand effortlessly. 3. File Insights in OneDrive → Understand files faster with Copilot’s summaries and recommendations. → Compare multiple files for streamlined data analysis. → Ask questions directly about the file content for quicker insights. 4. Email Coaching for Better Communication → Use Copilot to improve email tone, clarity, and professionalism. → Get actionable feedback to make your messages more effective. → Write polished and impactful emails effortlessly. 5. Track Action Items in Teams → Let Copilot recap meetings and highlight action items. → Stay updated on tasks assigned during meetings. → Organize your work seamlessly by querying Copilot for meeting details. 6. Copilot on Mobile → Download the free Copilot app for iPhone or Android. → Access all Copilot features on the go. → Take pictures and let Copilot identify objects like flowers and more. 7. Reference Content Without Interruptions → Use Copilot to access files, people, or meetings directly. → Type a forward slash to reference documents or attendees. → Ask Copilot questions about specific files without opening them. 8. Advanced Data Analysis in Excel → Turn raw data into insights with Copilot in Excel. → Format your data into tables for best results. → Add new columns, analyze trends, and simplify tasks with smart functions. 9. Find Prompt Ideas → Discover creative prompts by clicking the Copilot icon. → Use Copilot Lab for an extensive list of prompts tailored to your needs. → Explore new ways to harness Copilot’s potential across apps. 10. Enhance Productivity with Prompt Recommendations → Get app-specific suggestions from Copilot to maximize productivity. → Explore unique features for every Microsoft app. 💡 Pro Tip: Start using these features today to save time and elevate your work quality. Which feature will you try first? Let us know in the comments! LinkedIn LinkedIn News