Microsoft Copilot Team Guide

How to use this guide: Share it with your whole team — there's no restriction. Each section stands alone: PMs can jump to Teams prompts, finance to Excel, writers to Word. The power patterns at the end are for team leads driving adoption.

1. What Microsoft Copilot Actually Is (and Isn't)

Microsoft 365 Copilot is an AI layer built directly into Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint. It uses your company's content — emails, documents, meetings — to help you work faster. It is not a general-purpose chatbot. It is purpose-built for M365 workflows.

What it does well

What it doesn't do well

The Prompt Formula That Works Every Time

Most people write bad prompts. Here's the structure that gets 3× better results:

The Formula

[Role/Context] + [Task] + [Format] + [Constraints]

Strong prompt: "You are a project manager. Write a 3-paragraph status update for the Q2 marketing campaign covering: what's complete, what's in progress, and risks. Keep it under 200 words. Use plain language, no jargon."

2. Microsoft Word — 8 Core Prompts

Copilot in Word appears in the sidebar and inline. Start with "Draft with Copilot" for new documents or highlight text and click Copilot for rewrites and summaries.

1 · First Draft

Draft a [document type] about [topic]. Include an executive summary, 3-4 main sections, and a conclusion with next steps. Audience: [describe audience]. Tone: [formal/conversational/technical].

2 · Rewrite for Clarity

Rewrite this section to be clearer and more concise. Remove jargon. Keep all key information but aim for 30% shorter. Use active voice throughout.

3 · Summarize Long Document

Summarize this document in 3 bullet points per section. Then create a separate TL;DR of 2 sentences that captures the most important decision or recommendation.

4 · Extract Action Items

Read this document and extract every action item, deadline, and owner mentioned. Format as a table with columns: Action, Owner, Due Date, Priority.

5 · Change Tone

Rewrite this for [target audience — e.g., "a non-technical executive sponsor"]. They need to understand the business impact without technical detail. Keep the same facts, change the framing.

6 · Create Template

Turn this document into a reusable template. Replace specific details with [placeholders]. Add a brief instruction comment above each section explaining what to fill in.

7 · Compare Two Versions

Compare these two sections and explain the key differences. Which version is more persuasive for [goal]? Why? What should I keep from each?

8 · Meeting Prep Doc

Using this project document, create a 1-page pre-read for a 30-minute stakeholder meeting. Include: context (2 sentences), 3 key points to cover, 2 decisions needed, and 1 open question.

3. Microsoft Excel — 8 Core Prompts

Copilot in Excel works in the Copilot sidebar (right panel). It reads your selected data range. Always select your data table before asking Copilot to analyze it.

1 · Analyze Trends

Analyze this dataset and identify the top 3 trends. What changed most significantly over time? What are the outliers? Summarize in plain language with specific numbers.

2 · Generate Formula

Write a formula to [describe what you want to calculate]. Explain each part of the formula in plain English so I can modify it later if needed.

3 · Clean Data

Identify data quality issues in this table: duplicates, inconsistent formatting, missing values, or outliers. List each issue and suggest how to fix it.

4 · Create Chart

Create a chart that shows [what you want to visualize]. Use [bar/line/pie] chart. Highlight [metric] as the primary focus. Add a title and axis labels.

5 · Forecast / Projection

Based on this historical data, project [metric] for the next [time period]. Show 3 scenarios: conservative (10% growth), base (25% growth), optimistic (40% growth). Display as a table.

6 · Pivot Summary

Summarize this data by [category/dimension]. What are the top 5 [items] by [metric]? What's the average, min, and max? Format as a summary table.

7 · What-If Analysis

Run a what-if analysis: if [variable] changes by [+10%, +20%, +30%], how does that affect [outcome]? Show the calculations and highlight the break-even point.

8 · Executive Summary from Data

Write a 3-sentence executive summary of the most important findings in this data. A senior executive with no time to read the table needs to understand the key takeaway and recommended action.

4. Microsoft Outlook — 7 Core Prompts

Copilot in Outlook appears when composing or reading emails. For drafting, click "Draft with Copilot." For analyzing threads, open an email and click the Copilot icon.

1 · Draft a Reply

Draft a reply to this email. Tone: [professional/friendly/firm]. Key points to include: [list 2-3 points]. Keep it under 150 words. Don't start with "I hope this email finds you well."

2 · Triage Inbox

Summarize my last [20] emails. Which require a response today? Which can wait? Which are FYI only? Group them into: Urgent, Reply This Week, No Action Needed.

3 · Summarize Long Thread

Summarize this email thread. What was the original question? What decisions were made? What's the current status? What still needs to happen? Use bullet points.

4 · Coaching on Tone

Review this draft email. Is the tone appropriate for [situation — e.g., "declining a vendor proposal"]? Is anything likely to cause friction or be misread? Suggest specific rewrites where needed.

5 · Detect Follow-Ups

Search my inbox for emails where I said "I'll follow up" or where someone is waiting on me. List them with the original date and what action I likely need to take.

6 · Write Difficult Email

Draft an email to [recipient] about [sensitive topic]. Be direct but diplomatic. Acknowledge their perspective. Propose a path forward. Keep it under 200 words. Don't be apologetic — be constructive.

7 · Project Thread Summary

Find all emails about [project name] from the last [30] days. What are the open questions? What has been decided? Who are the main stakeholders? What's blocking progress?

5. Microsoft Teams — 7 Core Prompts

Copilot in Teams appears during or after meetings (Recap feature) and in chat channels. For meeting recap, Copilot must be enabled before the meeting starts. In channels, @ mention Copilot or use the Copilot button.

1 · Meeting Recap

Summarize this meeting. Include: key decisions made, action items with owners and deadlines, open questions that need follow-up, and the 3 most important discussion points.

2 · Catch Up After Absence

I missed the last [X] meetings for [project]. Summarize what I need to know: decisions made, my action items, current blockers, and what I should prioritize first.

3 · Channel Summary

Summarize the last [week/month] of activity in this channel. What were the main topics? What was decided? What's still in progress? Flag anything that needs my attention.

4 · Prepare for Meeting

I have a [meeting type] in 30 minutes about [topic]. Based on our recent chats and documents, what should I know going in? What questions should I ask? What decisions might come up?

5 · Extract Action Items Only

From this meeting transcript, extract only the action items. Format as: Owner | Task | Deadline | Priority (High/Medium/Low). Don't include discussion, just commitments.

6 · Draft Follow-Up Message

Draft a post-meeting follow-up message for this [channel/chat]. Include the 3 key decisions, everyone's action items, and the next meeting date. Friendly but professional tone.

7 · Search Cross-Meeting Context

What have we discussed about [topic] across my recent Teams meetings? What's the current status? Is there any conflicting information or open disagreements?

6. PowerPoint — 7 Core Prompts

Copilot in PowerPoint can create decks from scratch, expand an outline, or transform a Word document into slides. Use "Create Presentation" from the Copilot sidebar.

1 · Create from Scratch

Create a [X]-slide presentation about [topic] for [audience — e.g., "the board of directors"]. Include: title slide, agenda, 4-5 content slides, and a conclusion with next steps. Use a professional, clean layout.

2 · Convert Word Doc to Slides

Convert this Word document into a PowerPoint presentation. Create one slide per major section. Use bullet points, not paragraphs. Suggest relevant visuals or charts where appropriate.

3 · Add Speaker Notes

Write speaker notes for each slide. Notes should: expand on the bullets without repeating them, suggest transitions between slides, and anticipate likely audience questions. Keep each note under 100 words.

4 · Redesign / Simplify

This slide has too much content. Suggest how to split it into 2-3 slides. What's the core message of each? What should be cut? What should be in the appendix?

5 · Executive Summary Slide

Create a single executive summary slide for this presentation. Include: the situation (1 sentence), the key insight (1-2 bullets), and the recommended action (1 sentence). This is for a time-pressed executive.

6 · Q&A Prep

Based on this presentation, what are the 5 most likely questions from [audience type]? For each, write a brief 2-sentence answer. Highlight the 1-2 questions most likely to be hostile or challenging.

7 · Adapt for New Audience

This deck was built for [original audience]. Adapt it for [new audience — e.g., "non-technical stakeholders"]. What slides should be added, removed, or rewritten? Suggest specific changes.

7. Copilot Chat — 6 Cross-App Prompts

Copilot Chat is the cross-app interface at copilot.microsoft.com or in the Teams sidebar. It can search across your entire M365 ecosystem — emails, documents, meetings, chats.

1 · Cross-App Project Status

What's the current status of [project name]? Check my emails, Teams messages, and shared documents from the last 30 days. Summarize: what's done, what's in flight, what's blocked.

2 · Find Information

Find everything related to [topic/decision] from the last [60] days. Look across email, Teams, and documents. What was the final decision and who made it?

3 · Catch Up After Time Off

I was out from [date] to [date]. Catch me up on everything important. What decisions were made? What do I need to respond to? What's my most urgent priority when I return?

4 · Compare Documents

Compare [Document A] and [Document B]. What are the key differences? Which version is more complete? What's in one but missing from the other?

5 · Relationship Summary

Summarize my recent interactions with [person's name]. What have we discussed? What have they asked me for? What have I committed to? What's outstanding?

6 · Weekly Digest

Generate a weekly digest of everything important from this week. Include: key decisions made, tasks I completed, tasks still open, and the 3 most important things to focus on next week.

8. Keyboard Shortcuts

9. 8 Power Patterns for Teams

Pattern 1: Meeting → Action Item Pipeline

Shortcut	App	Action
`Alt + /`	Word	Open Copilot sidebar
`Alt + Shift + C`	Outlook	Draft with Copilot
`Ctrl + Alt + C`	Teams	Open Copilot in chat
`Alt + /`	PowerPoint	Open Copilot sidebar
`Ctrl + Shift + Enter`	Excel	Submit Copilot prompt
`Win + C`	Windows	Open Copilot sidebar
`Alt + Shift + Enter`	All	Regenerate response
`Esc`	All	Dismiss/close Copilot
`Ctrl + Z`	All	Undo Copilot-generated content
`Tab`	All	Accept inline suggestion

Enable Copilot in Teams before every meeting. At the end, run the "Extract Action Items" prompt. Paste the output into your project tracker. Time saved: 20–30 min per meeting.

Pattern 2: Word → PowerPoint Pipeline

Write your thinking in Word first. Use Copilot to clean and structure it. Then use "Convert to Slides" in PowerPoint. This separates thinking from presenting and cuts deck-building time in half.

Pattern 3: Inbox Triage at Day Start

Every morning: open Copilot Chat → "Catch me up on my emails from the last 24 hours. What requires my response today?" → Work the priority list. Cuts inbox review from 30 to 10 minutes.

Pattern 4: Channel Digest Before Joining a Project

Before joining a new project mid-stream: "Summarize the last 3 months of this Teams channel. What are the open decisions? What's the current status? Who are the key voices?" Skip the 2-week ramp.

Pattern 5: Template Factory

Use Copilot to turn your best one-off documents into reusable templates. Prompt: "Turn this document into a template. Replace specifics with [PLACEHOLDER] labels and add fill-in instructions." Reduces recurring work to 10 minutes.

Pattern 6: Pre-Meeting Briefing

30 minutes before any major meeting: "Summarize my emails and Teams conversations about [topic] this month. What should I know? What might be contentious?" Walk in prepared.

Pattern 7: Cross-App Decision Audit

For compliance, handoffs, or project close: "Find all decisions made about [project] in the last 6 months. Who made them? Where are they documented?" Builds an automatic audit trail.

Pattern 8: Rollout Checklist for Managers

10. Troubleshooting & Tips

Microsoft Copilot Team Guide — Ask Patrick · askpatrick.co
Questions? [email protected]
This guide may be shared freely with your team.