Returning to work after an extended absence—especially something as disruptive as a government shutdown—can feel overwhelming. Emails have piled up, Teams chats are buzzing, and meetings have moved forward without you. The question is: Where do you start?
This blog post introduces a powerful Copilot prompt designed to help you catch up fast and prioritize effectively, so you can focus on what matters most without wasting hours sifting through updates.
The Challenge
When you’ve been away for several days (or weeks), the biggest hurdle is information overload. You need:
- A clear picture of what happened while you were gone.
- A way to separate urgent tasks from non-critical updates.
- An actionable plan to get back on track—fast.
The Solution: Microsoft 365 Copilot Prompt
This prompt does the heavy lifting for you. Here’s what it delivers:
- Comprehensive Scan: Reviews all recent emails, Teams chats, and meetings since your return date.
- Smart Prioritization: Organizes updates into High, Medium, and Low priority tiers with clear reasoning.
- Actionable Insights: Provides a structured action plan with estimated effort, dependencies, and risks.
How It Works
Copy and paste the following prompt into Microsoft 365 Copilot (available in Outlook on the web, Microsoft Teams, the Windows M365 Copilot App, or at https://M365Copilot.com):
“I’ve been away for [insert number] days due to a government shutdown.
Scan all my recent communications across emails, Teams chats, and meetings since [insert date]. Summarize key updates and identify what requires my immediate attention.
Organize the output into three tiers:
- High Priority (Do First): Items that are time-sensitive, have deadlines, or impact critical projects. Include why they are urgent.
- Medium Priority (Do Next): Items that need action soon but are not blocking critical work. Explain why they can wait until after high-priority tasks.
- Low Priority (Can Wait): Informational or non-urgent items. Provide reasoning for deprioritization.
For each item, include:
- Source (email, chat, meeting)
- Date and sender/participants
- Summary of the topic or decision
- Any deadlines or follow-ups mentioned
- My action items
Finally, give me a recommended action plan with estimated effort for each tier and flag any dependencies or risks I should know about.”
Why You’ll Love This
- Time-Saving: No more manual digging through hundreds of messages.
- Confidence: Know exactly what to tackle first and why.
- Risk Management: Spot dependencies and potential blockers before they derail your progress.
Requirements
- A Microsoft 365 Copilot license is required to use this prompt.
Pro Tip
Pair this prompt with Copilot in Outlook and Teams for even deeper insights—like drafting quick responses or scheduling catch-up meetings directly from your prioritized list.
Microsoft