Upskill Your Workflow in 2026
AI is here to stay, and the way we work is changing quickly. The big question for businesses is letting their employees use AI securely. The answer for most businesses, big and small, is Microsoft 365 Copilot. It brings AI into the apps people already use at work like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. By using it, you can brainstorm faster, summarize smarter, and deliver polished work in less time.
Below I’ll show handy tips to make the most out of Microsoft 365 Copilot. I'm using it everyday now, and I encourage everyone to try it out. If you're already working inside the Microsoft ecosystem, I'll show you some prompt examples to try. I've also included links to free AI training resources below. So in 2026, get serious about AI upskilling by learning what Microsoft 365 Copilot can do.
AI upskilling explained
When I say AI upskilling, I’m talking about changing how you get work done, with help from AI. We these new Microsoft 365 Copilot skills, you'll improve the quality of research, writing, analysis, and presentations you deliver. Microsoft 365 Copilot runs where you already work and respects your existing data permissions. You just need to know how to use it. If you have the will to learn, I'll show you some Microsoft 365 Copilot tips I've learned from my own experiences. First, let's explain what it can do.
What Microsoft 365 Copilot actually does
Copilot is an AI assistant that works alongside the Microsoft 365 apps you use every day. Ask it to draft, summarize, transform, or analyze your files, emails, and documents. It weaves in the right context from your documents, emails, meetings, and chats to produce relevant results. This is all done with your permission so you have full control on what you want it to do. Think of yourself as a Manager, and Microsoft 365 Copilot as someone who reports to you. Your job is manage their work, and output. It can do so much on your behalf if you take advantage of it. You'll then have more time and energy to focus on the big picture stuff, rather than drafting PowerPoint presentations from scratch. Those days are long gone.
Here's where Microsoft 365 Copilot can help right away in your daily work life:
Try these prompts for Microsoft 365 Copilot
Drop these into Copilot (adjust the bracketed bits):
Client prep (Word/Outlook/Teams):
“From the attached file and my last 3 email threads with [Client], create a one‑page brief with goals, open questions, decisions made, and next steps. Keep it in my voice.”
Data pulse check (Excel):
“Analyze [this workbook] and list top 5 trends, anomalies, and likely drivers. Visualize each as a chart.”Deck build (PowerPoint):
“Turn the attached Word doc into a 10‑slide executive deck with a strong opener, 3 key insights, and a call‑to‑action slide.”Inbox triage (Outlook):
“Summarize this thread in 5 bullets, tag the risks, and draft a reply proposing next steps.”
What about privacy and security?
The fact is, people are already using AI at work. But for businesses, privacy and security around AI usage is particularly important. Copilot respects your existing permissions and doesn’t use your prompts or responses to train foundation models. This is critical for businesses with employees who use AI in the workplace. With Microsoft 365 Copilot, prompts and responses are protected under Microsoft’s enterprise data commitments. In short, Copilot applies security, compliance, and auditing controls you already rely on in Microsoft 365. The important thing is getting employees to use it rather than other AI tools in the office. It's already inside Microsoft 365, everyone just needs to take advantage of it. To do that, you first need to learn how to use it.
Free AI learning resources
Microsoft provides a lot of free resources to learn how to use AI and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Here's several links that can help you get started on your AI learning path:
