Last week, I had the pleasure of attending Commsverse – a Microsoft Teams, Copilot, and Microsoft 365-focused conference – and it didn’t disappoint. It was a brilliant opportunity to immerse myself in the world of Microsoft 365, connect with like-minded professionals, and see first-hand how others are using these tools to boost productivity, creativity, and collaboration.
Copilot is King
One thing is clear – the Microsoft community is all in on Copilot. The number of sessions dedicated to it was staggering (almost too many to choose from!). As a daily user myself it can be easy to just focus on how I currently use it and how it helps, but there is always more to learn and it was fantastic to hear real stories from others on how they’re using Copilot, what’s working, and what they’ve learnt along the way.
Enablement is everything
One of the most valuable reminders from Commsverse? Adoption doesn’t happen by magic. We can’t just roll out Copilot and expect people to start using it effectively straight away – it has to be driven, supported, and, most importantly, enabled. Without the right training and support, people are likely to feel unsure or even overwhelmed. And when that happens? They stop using it altogether.
One of my favourite sessions was a panel featuring three organisations sharing their real-world Copilot experiences. The standout message was crystal clear: usage only scales when people know how to get the most from it. As a Microsoft Certified Trainer, I couldn’t agree more. If users don’t know how to access Copilot, prompt it correctly, or understand where it fits into their workflow, it can quickly become more of a frustration than a help.
Ally Ward from Norton Rose Fulbright shared that they’ve seen a 4x increase in Copilot adoption by truly investing in enablement. But she was honest – it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, typically 3–6 months, and works best when learning is broken down into bitesize, role-specific chunks. And it doesn’t stop there. Ongoing nudges, tips and refreshers are key. Without that, it risks being seen as little more than a fancy Teams Premium add-on – which makes it hard to justify the cost, let alone see the value.
Get your house in order
One of the biggest – and completely valid – themes at Commsverse was preparation. Before you even think about rolling out Copilot, your data needs to be in the right shape. That means making sure your files are stored in the right places (OneDrive and SharePoint!) and your permissions and security settings are up to scratch. If users can’t access the files they need, Copilot won’t be able to help them. Worse still, if access is too broad, people might end up seeing information they shouldn’t.
One session I joined dived into how Copilot and Microsoft Purview can work together to tackle this challenge. It had really insightful content about collaboration habits – and how easy it is to fall into the trap of oversharing. When files and folders are shared too widely, things can get messy fast. Thankfully, the session offered some brilliant practical tips such as run small-scale pilots or time-bound projects to spot areas where files or sites are being overshared. Fix those first, then roll out Copilot to a controlled group with well-managed data. It’s not a quick win – this kind of prep takes time and effort – but it’s one of the most important things you can do to ensure your Copilot rollout is secure, effective, and delivers real value from day one.
Clarity not caution
One area of Copilot I’ve discussed with a number of clients and colleagues is AI policies. And I’ve found that a lot of organisations have jumped straight into “what not to do with AI,” which can make the whole thing feel intimidating and restrictive.
But a good AI policy should be empowering – a clear and simple agreement between your people and your business about how AI should be used responsibly. Introduce it as part of your Copilot rollout, and make it a step in the onboarding process. One idea I particularly liked was the concept of an “AI contract” – a friendly but firm set of expectations, agreed before a licence is assigned. It sets the tone, builds trust, and helps everyone get the most from Copilot – the right way.
Think outside the box
When most people talk about Copilot, the focus is usually on the obvious: Can it draft my emails? Summarise my meetings? Help me get more done in less time? And yes – Copilot does all of that brilliantly. But what really sparked my interest at Commsverse was seeing how people are starting to think well beyond those standard use cases.
Caroline Kallin delivered a fantastic session on how she’s using Copilot not just as a productivity tool, but as a wellbeing companion. One idea that really stuck with me? Each week, she asks Copilot (well actually she has summarised the prompt weekly) to summarise what she’s achieved. It’s simple, but incredibly powerful – a regular reminder of the progress she’s made and the impact she’s had. It’s easy to lose sight of wins when you’re deep in the day-to-day, so I loved this idea of building in a weekly moment of reflection. Sometimes, a little nudge from Copilot is all you need to feel re-energised.
Others are treating Copilot like a personal coach – helping them prioritise to-do lists, prepare for tricky conversations, or break down complex problems into clear steps. It’s not just about working faster; it’s about working smarter, with support that feels genuinely useful.
And of course, there was plenty of buzz around Copilot Agents. The potential here is huge – from automating complex workflows to improving access to knowledge and delivering richer user experiences. But the message was clear: success with agents depends entirely on knowing what you want them to do and giving them the right information to work with. No shortcuts. But once you’ve got the right scenario, agents can completely change how you work.
It was a genuinely energising few days diving deeper into Copilot and Microsoft 365 – with lots of useful insight I’ll be sharing with our clients as they look to embrace and embed Copilot more effectively. And of course, a hats off to the Commsverse team – another fantastic event.
Ready to make Copilot work for you?
If you’re starting to explore Copilot, thinking about how to drive real adoption, or curious about how Copilot Agents could transform the way your teams work – let’s chat. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to take things to the next level, I’d love to share what we’ve seen work (and what to avoid!).
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