Leading the Way with Copilot: April 2025

As anyone who has managed a team knows, there is a unique set of skills required to do it well. Managers often navigate heavy meeting schedules, oversee complex workstreams, mediate information between executives and employees, provide employee direction and support, and participate in strategic planning for their teams. For many, it’s extraordinarily difficult to juggle all of these tasks or find the time to do them well.   

Recently, we interviewed a few of our top performing managers here at Microsoft to ask them how Microsoft 365 Copilot is changing how they work. Their responses were enlightening and demonstrate how Copilot can alleviate some of these classic management challenges, allowing them to focus more on strategic decision-making and team building. In short, Copilot is freeing them up to be more engaged, creative, and supportive managers.  

Read on to hear how these three managers are leveraging Copilot in their daily work and see examples of the prompts they are using to do it.  

Stanley Grant, Vice President of Engineering 
Keeping track of overlapping meetings as a senior leader  

I have a lot of back-to-backs with overlapping meetings. It is literally impossible for me to attend them all, but I need to stay abreast of what is covered in those meetings. I used to spend a lot of time reading meeting notes and catching up with people afterwards. Now I ask Copilot to provide a recap and summarize key actions for each of my daily meetings. For someone who oversees lots of different projects and workstreams, this has been a game-changer. I can now get caught up to speed quickly on meetings I can’t attend, look into the segments of the meeting that require my attention and follow up with people afterwards efficiently. 

Example Prompt: “Hi Copilot, I had several back-to-back meetings on <insert date> and wasn't able to attend all of them. Can you provide me with a recap of the meetings I missed? I need to catch up on the key points, identify any segments that require my attention, and follow up with the relevant people efficiently. Please return the information in the following format: 

1. Meeting Title 

• • Short recap of the meeting 

• • Action Items: 

• • •  Action item 1 (specify if it's for me or someone else) 

• • •  Action item 2 (specify if it's for me or someone else) 

Additionally, please highlight if I was specifically @ mentioned in any of these meetings.” 

Stacie Engler, Principal Customer Experience Manager 
Sending out clear and efficient follow-up messages to teams and executives 

A key part of my role involves sending business updates, follow-up messages, and other management forms of communication. I used to lose a lot of time trying to make sure my messages were clear, concise, and appropriate for the audience. I would get stuck trying to make sure they were perfect. Now I spin out whatever is on my mind and let Copilot create a version that clarifies my message and adjusts the tone for the audience. This has saved me so much time and energy and allows me to spend more time in other impactful areas.  

Example Prompt: “Please help me edit this message <insert rough draft in quotes> into a professional, concise, and clear message for <insert audience>. Use bullet points or other formatting if that helps drive clarity, and maintain a kind, direct and collaborative tone.” 

Manish Dixit, Senior Program Management Manager 
Operating with efficiency in a meeting heavy environment 

I like to come prepared to all of my meetings (who doesn’t?!). Ideally, I’ll know the context, be familiar with any supporting documents, and have any questions prepared ahead of time. But when I am in constant back-to-back meetings, it can be really hard to find the time to prepare. Copilot has completely changed this for me. Now I have Copilot help me prepare for my meetings in advance. Where I used to take 30 minutes to prepare for a meeting, I now do it in 10. Moreover, the ability to save my Copilot chats allows me to build on previous knowledge/context to prepare for recurring meetings.  

Example Prompt: "Prepare for an effective 1:1 meeting with my direct report by generating actionable discussion topics, questions, and follow-up items that address performance, challenges, and career aspirations. Provide a bullet-pointed list where each item includes a discussion topic, a targeted question, and a suggested action item. Avoid generic language or corporate buzzwords; ensure each point is specific, practical, and tailored to the individual's context. <Include all relevant context for meeting (e.g., role, documents, particular topics or situations that need to be addressed, etc.).>” 

Ultimately, Copilot is revolutionizing the way our managers operate, enabling them to be more efficient, engaged, and supportive. The experiences shared by our managers underscore the value of Copilot in helping them navigate their complex roles with greater ease and efficiency. By adopting Copilot, managers can focus on what truly matters—building strong, cohesive teams and driving strategic initiatives. 

As we continue to explore and integrate Copilot into our daily workflows, we can expect even greater improvements in productivity and collaboration.  

How are you using Copilot? Comment below and tell us how it is impacting your daily work.