The 7 AI Habits in Practice In this section, we will share with you 7 habits which can help you turn common work friction into repeatable workflows. Each habit includes a "hero prompt" you can use immediately, plus follow-ups, tips, and other use cases to help you adapt Copilot to daily work. Habit 1: Use Copilot as your Personal Assistant The Challenge. Work information is scattered across emails, chats, meetings, and files. You waste time figuring out what changed, what matters, and what to do next. Hero Prompt: Daily Digest Daily Digest for [today's date]. What should be on my radar based on emails, chats, and meetings from [yesterday]? Include: 1) a short summary of key updates 2) a table of action items sorted by priority or due date, with owners and context 3) any decisions made and open questions Follow-ups From the action-item table, draft my top 5 priorities for today (in priority order) and explain why each matters. What's the latest on [person/project/topic] in the last [timeframe]? Group by Emails, Chats, and Files and include links. List the top 3 decisions made and the 3 actions still pending. Flag anything ambiguous as [Unclear]. Tips Be specific: include people, project names, keywords, timeframe, and what to exclude. Copilot typically surfaces content you have access to in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams. Open the links it provides to confirm context before acting or forwarding. Other Use Cases Fast status check on a project Give me a status update on [project] from the last [2 weeks]. Summarize progress, blockers, decisions, and next actions. Include links to the most relevant messages and files. Prep for a busy day Based on today's calendar and my recent messages, propose a plan for my day: focus blocks, meetings to prepare for, and 3 outcomes to aim for. Chase updates without micromanaging Draft a short message to [person/team] asking for an update on [topic]. Keep it polite, clear, and specific about what I need and by when. Habit 2: Use Copilot as your Email Assistant The Challenge. Email threads are long, tone is tricky, and replies take longer than they should. Decisions and next steps get buried. Hero Prompt Write a reply that acknowledges the points and proposes next step. Keep to about 150 words in a warm, professional tone. Context: - My role: [your role] - Recipient: [who they are] - What I need: [decision / action / info] - Key points to address: [bullets] Follow-ups Provide a shorter version under 90 words that still lands the ask clearly. Add a subject line and a 3-bullet "Next steps" section with owner and date. Flag any missing information or ambiguity in the thread as [Unclear] and suggest one clarifying question per item. Tips Include the thread (or at least the last 3 to 5 messages) so Copilot can reflect context and prior decisions. Always specify your relationship to the recipient, your intent, and the desired tone and length. Do a final human review for accuracy, tone, and sensitive details before sending. Other Use Cases Summarize a long email thread Summarize this email thread into 5 bullets. Include decisions, action items with owners and due dates, and any open questions. Edit a draft for clarity Improve this draft for clarity. Cut about 20%, remove jargon, and suggest a clearer subject line. Show your edits inline. Turn a thread into a meeting invite Turn this thread into a meeting invite for [date/time options]. Suggest an agenda based on the conversation and list the right attendees. Habit 3: Use Copilot as your Meeting Assistant The Challenge. Agendas are unclear, context is scattered, and action items are forgotten. Follow-through breaks when people miss meetings. Hero Prompt Using this meeting transcript/notes [paste or link], draft: 1) a 3-sentence summary 2) decisions made 3) action items with owners and due dates 4) open questions Keep the tone professional and mark anything ambiguous as [Unclear]. Format for easy copy-paste into email. Follow-ups Draft a brief follow-up email to attendees, attaching these minutes and highlighting the action items. For each [Unclear] item, propose one specific clarification question I should ask. Turn the action items into a numbered checklist I can paste into a chat. Tips Turn on recording and transcription at the start of meetings (where policy allows) for reliable recaps. Send invites with a clear goal, time-boxed agenda, and pre-reads to reduce rework. Verify names, dates, and commitments before sharing minutes. Other Use Cases Create a meeting agenda Suggest a clear agenda for [meeting] to achieve [objective]. Include 3–5 topics in order, time-boxing, who should attend, and any pre-reads. Prepare for a meeting Help me prepare for [meeting]. Summarize what I must know from recent emails/files and propose 5 talking points and 5 questions. Catch up during a meeting What did I miss in the last [10 minutes]? Summarize key points and decisions so far, and suggest 3 smart questions I should ask next. Habit 4: Use Copilot as your Research Assistant The Challenge. You need to get up to speed quickly, but searching, scanning, and validating sources takes too long. Hero Prompt What's the latest on [topic] in [region] over the last [timeframe]? Give 5 key updates with a one-line "why it matters" for each, plus 3–5 reputable sources with titles and dates. Follow-ups Rank the 5 updates by likely impact on [my team / my industry / my customers] and explain your ranking. For the top 2 updates, list 3 implications and 3 practical actions we should consider in the next [30 days]. Extract a short "talking points" brief: 5 bullets I can use to update stakeholders. Tips Define scope: audience, region, timeframe, and what "latest" means for your context. Ask for sources with titles and dates, then open and verify before reusing. Request "why it matters" to convert facts into actionable insight. Other Use Cases Learn a topic quickly Help me learn [topic] quickly. Create a one-page cheat sheet: core idea in 100 words, 5 key concepts with short definitions, 3 examples, and reputable sources with titles and dates. Research a product/service I'm evaluating [product/service] for [use case] in [region]. Provide key considerations, 3–5 options, typical price range, and pros/cons. Include recent sources with titles and dates. Troubleshoot a technical issue I'm having an issue with [problem] on [platform/version]. List likely causes, step-by-step checks, and recommended fixes. Cite official or reputable sources. Habit 5: Use Copilot for Content Creation The Challenge. Starting from a blank page is slow. Reworking documents into slides takes extra cycles and often creates inconsistencies. Hero Prompt (Microsoft Word) Suggest a detailed outline for a [document type] on [topic] for [audience]. Include 5–7 headings with 2–3 bullets under each. Hero Prompt (Microsoft PowerPoint) Create a presentation from [file] for [audience]. 8–10 slides: Include an agenda, 3 key ideas with supporting bullets, and a closing next-steps slide. Follow-ups (Word) Write a first draft for the section "[Section A]" based on the outline. Keep it to about [length] in a [tone]. (PowerPoint) For slide 3, suggest three alternative, more action-oriented titles (3–5 words each). Identify what's missing: list the top 5 inputs you still need from me to finalize this for the audience. Tips Always state audience, purpose, tone, and target length up front. Iterate in small steps (outline, section draft, tighten, rewrite) rather than asking for perfection in one go. Do a final human pass to validate facts and align with your organization's templates and voice. Other Use Cases Turn bullets into a polished section Turn these bullets into a clear section of about [length]. Keep my wording where possible and add smooth transitions: [paste bullets] Edit for clarity and brevity Improve this section for clarity and flow. Shorten by about 20%, remove jargon, and keep all names, dates, and numbers unchanged: [paste text] Add speaker notes Write concise speaker notes for this slide. One 20–30 second talking point. Keep it natural and audience-appropriate. Habit 6: Use Copilot for Document Insights The Challenge. Long documents are time-consuming to digest. Key decisions, deadlines, and risks are easy to miss, and teams redo the same summarization work. Hero Prompt Summarize this document [file/link] for [audience] in about [150–200] words. List 5 key takeaways and any decisions, deadlines, or risks mentioned. Follow-ups Create a 10-item FAQ based on this document. Keep answers short and include a page/section reference. Turn the summary into a 5-bullet email update focusing only on decisions and deadlines. Compare this version with [file A] and [file B]. Show what changed and flag inconsistencies or open questions. Tips Set scope clearly: audience, purpose, desired length, and what to include/exclude. Validate extracted names, numbers, and sensitive details against the original before sharing. If the document is long, start with one section, then expand. Other Use Cases Executive brief Turn this report into a 200-word executive brief and a 5-bullet email update. Keep wording neutral and flag any data gaps. Improve structure Review this draft for clarity and structure. Suggest a better outline and 5 concrete edits to tighten the prose. Extract purpose and intended audience Who is the intended audience and purpose of this document? Quote the lines that indicate this and note where they appear. Habit 7: Use Copilot as your Data Analyst The Challenge. You need insights from data but you are not an analyst. Spreadsheet work is slow, error-prone, and hard to translate into decisions. Hero Prompt Analyze the provided spreadsheet to identify key insights, themes, and actionable information. Highlight notable data points, conclusions, and recommendations. State any assumptions you are making. Follow-ups Create a formula to calculate percentage change between [Metric A] and [Metric B] and add it as a new column. Explain it briefly. Identify 3 potential data quality issues (missing values, inconsistent categories, outliers) and suggest fixes. What is the single most surprising data point and why is it notable (one sentence)? Tips Store workbooks in OneDrive or SharePoint with AutoSave enabled for best results. Ask Copilot to confirm which columns it used and to state assumptions before trusting conclusions. For high-stakes work, do a careful human review of formulas, filters, ranges, and interpretation. Other Use Cases Find themes in feedback From the Comments column, summarize top themes, sentiment, and 5 representative quotes. Note recurring pain points. Create a PivotTable and chart Create a PivotTable showing Total Sales by Region and Month, then add a clustered column chart with a clear title. Spot outliers Identify months with unusual spikes or dips in [Metric] compared to the 12-month average. List the top three and possible explanations.

Simply knowing about these habits is not enough; the real value comes from integrating them into your daily routines until they become second nature. The 4 Steps to Building an AI Habit 1. Make it Obvious (Cue) Link to a clear trigger you already have. "When I need to draft an important email, I will use Copilot to create the first draft." 2. Make it Easy (Tiny Start) Lower the barrier; pin Copilot where you'll use it. "I will pin Copilot to my browser's favorites bar." 3. Habit Stacking Tie it to a routine you already perform. "After a meeting ends, I will ask Copilot to draft the minutes, review it and send to participants." 4. Remove Friction Save Hero Prompts in your prompt library. "I will save the Hero Prompts from this guide to my prompt library." Your Turn: Commit to a Micro-Habit Action required. Now is the time to build your first habit. Choose one habit that addresses a frequent pain point. Identify the cue and commit to using the hero prompt the next time it occurs. My Commitment My chosen habit:  e.g. Habit 4: Personal Assistant Trigger: When I...  e.g. When I start my day… I will use Copilot to:  e.g. run the Daily Digest prompt to help me get ready for the day.

Test your understanding. Q1: What is the key difference between Copilot and other consumer-based Generative AI tools? A) Copilot is faster and more accurate B) Copilot only works in Microsoft products C) Your data is private and not accessible by the service provider D) Copilot is free to use Q2: What is the key difference between Copilot Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot? A) They are the same thing B) Copilot Chat is only for personal use C) Microsoft 365 Copilot has direct access to your work data D) Copilot Chat doesn't use AI Q3: How can you make your Copilot experience more 'personalized'? A) By using it more frequently B) Change the theme settings C) Install additional plugins D) Setup custom instructions Q4: How can you use Copilot to help you get started with your day? A) Use it to set your alarm B) Check the weather forecast C) Rund the Daily Digest prompt D) Generate a random to-do list Q5: How can you use Copilot to help you have more effective meetings? A) By automatically attending meetings for you B) By muting other participants C) By recording video only D) By creating agendas, preparing talking points, and generating summaries with action items Q6: True or False: Responses from Copilot can be trusted because they are grounded on your work data. True False Q7: Where can you save prompts that you use regularly? A) In a Word document B) In your email drafts C) In Excel spreadsheets D) Copilot Prompt Gallery