Microsoft Copilot Prompting Workshop

Read this document and extract the following information: the subject or case reference, the current status, any key dates or deadlines, outstanding actions required, and the next scheduled milestone or review. Then draft a professional update email to [stakeholder name or role] summarising where things stand, what is expected of them in the next two weeks, and the next key date to be aware of. Keep the email factual, clear, and under 200 words. Show me the draft before doing anything with it. Do not send without my approval.

When I trigger this skill with a project or team name, do the following in order. First, search my Teams messages, emails, and shared files from the last 7 days for any updates related to that project or team. Second, identify what was completed, what is still in progress, any blockers, and what is coming up next week. Third, draft a concise status update using this structure: RAG Status (Red, Amber, or Green with one sentence of justification), Summary (two sentences maximum), Completed This Week (bullet list), In Progress (bullet list), Blockers (bullet list, note the owner next to each item), Priorities Next Week (bullet list). Output the result as a plain-text email ready to send to the project sponsor. Keep it under 300 words.

I need to complete our end-of-month reporting process. Work through the following steps in order and pause for my approval before starting each new step. Step 1: Search my OneDrive, shared files, and emails from the last 30 days for performance data, activity reports, and operational updates related to [your team, department, or project name]. Compile the key figures and outcomes into a structured table with columns for: area or program name, key metric or volume, result versus target, and any notable highlights or issues. Step 2: Using that table, write a concise leadership update. Lead with the overall performance story in two sentences, then cover what went well, what needs attention, and any resource or decision needs. Keep it under one page, plain language, no jargon. Step 3: Draft a short team communication sharing a positive achievement from the month. Three short paragraphs. Acknowledge the team's contribution and connect it to organisational purpose. Show me each output for approval before moving to the next step.

It is the start of my working week. Give me a structured catch-up across my emails, Teams messages, and calendar from the past three days. Organise it into four sections. First, Needs my response today: list the sender, the topic, and a one-line summary for each item. Second, Decisions or commitments made while I was away: anything agreed in meetings or threads I was included in. Third, Upcoming deadlines this week: pulled from my calendar and any emails with specific dates mentioned. Fourth, Anything else I should know: notable updates from my team or key contacts. For each item, tell me where to find it so I can go there directly.

Find all discussions, decisions, and documents related to [topic, for example: the new IT system rollout / the updated pricing model / the Q3 reporting process] from the past six months. Summarise what was decided, who was involved, and what the current position is. Tell me where each piece of information came from so I can go back to the source if needed.

What has been discussed or agreed with [person name or team] over the last three months? I need a timeline of our main interactions, any commitments made on either side, and any items that are still unresolved. I have a meeting with them this week and want to go in well prepared.

Write a professional update email to [recipient name or role, for example: the executive team / a key client / the project steering group] about [describe the update in two sentences]. The recipient is results-focused and prefers brevity. Lead with the key outcome or decision needed. Provide supporting context in no more than four bullet points. Close with a clear next step. Keep the total email under 200 words. Professional tone, plain language, Australian English.

Draft a communication to [audience, for example: all staff / our customers / a specific team] announcing [describe the change in two to three sentences]. The audience may have concerns or questions, so the tone should be clear, honest, and reassuring without being dismissive. Explain what is changing, why it is happening, what it means for them specifically, and what they should do if they have questions. Use plain language with no acronyms or technical jargon. Keep it to one page. Include a clear contact point at the end.

Write a professional business case document for the following investment: [Describe the initiative in 2-3 sentences]. The audience is our executive leadership team. They are commercially focused, risk-aware, and need to justify board-level spend. Structure the document with these sections: Executive Summary (150 words max), Problem Statement and Current State, Proposed Solution and Scope, Strategic Alignment (connect to our growth and efficiency objectives), Financial Summary including estimated cost, expected ROI, and payback period, Key Risks and Mitigations (use a 3-column table: Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation), Implementation Approach (phased timeline), Recommendation and Decision Required. Use formal Australian English. Avoid all filler phrases. Every section should be substantive, with no placeholder content.

Rewrite this document as a 1-page executive summary for our steering committee. They want outcomes, risks, and financial impact, not technical detail. Use plain language, no acronyms unless defined, and lead with the business value. Format as: Headline outcome (1 sentence), Key achievements (3 bullets), Risks remaining (2 bullets), Decision required (1 sentence). Maximum 300 words.

Now rewrite the same document as a friendly, reassuring all-staff communication. The audience is non-technical employees who may be worried about what this change means for their day-to-day work. Explain what's changing, what's staying the same, what they need to do differently, and where to get help. Use plain conversational language. Include a FAQ section with the 4 most likely questions staff would ask, with direct answers. Warm but professional tone.

I have two documents open. The first is the client's requirements document /[Requirements Doc] and the second is our proposed solution /[Solution Doc]. Perform a structured gap analysis: (1) List every client requirement and indicate whether our solution fully addresses it, partially addresses it, or does not address it. Use a table with columns: Requirement | Our Coverage | Gap or Risk, (2) Identify the 3 highest-risk gaps where the client may push back during review, (3) For each high-risk gap, suggest a response strategy: either how we can close the gap, or how to reframe it as out of scope with justification, (4) Note any commitments in the requirements document that would require additional cost or effort not currently in our proposal.

Analyse this dataset and perform a full anomaly and pattern detection sweep. Identify: (1) Any values that are statistical outliers (more than 2 standard deviations from the mean for their column), (2) Any categories or segments that are trending in the wrong direction compared to the rest of the dataset, (3) Any correlations between columns that are unexpected or worth investigating, (4) The single most important insight in this data that a manager would want to act on immediately. For each finding, explain what you found, why it's significant, and what the likely cause might be. Rank findings by business impact.

Drill into the anomaly you identified in [column/segment name]. Add a new column called "Anomaly Flag" that marks each row as High / Medium / Normal based on how far it deviates from expected range. Then highlight all High rows in red and add a summary row at the bottom showing the count and total value of flagged items.

Using the data in this spreadsheet as the baseline, build a 3-scenario model with columns for Conservative (10% below current assumptions), Base Case (current), and Optimistic (15% above current assumptions). For each scenario calculate: total revenue, total cost, gross margin, gross margin percentage, and break-even point. Add a summary comparison table at the top of the sheet with conditional formatting: green where gross margin exceeds 30%, amber between 20–30%, red below 20%. Label all assumptions clearly so a reviewer can see what was changed in each scenario.

Create a new sheet called "Executive Dashboard" and build a single-page summary view of this data. The dashboard should contain: (1) A KPI summary row showing the 4 most important metrics from this data as large, clearly labelled numbers with comparison to prior period and an up/down arrow indicator, (2) A bar chart of [key metric] by [dimension, e.g. region, team, product] sorted highest to lowest, (3) A trend line chart showing the last 6 periods, (4) A "Top 5 and Bottom 5" table showing best and worst performing rows by [metric]. Lock the dashboard sheet so it cannot be accidentally edited. Add a "Last Updated" cell that references today's date automatically.

Create a 12-slide executive presentation using the content from /[Strategy Doc] and /[Data File]. The audience is our board of directors. They want strategic clarity, financial rigour, and a clear ask. Structure the presentation using the Situation-Complication-Resolution narrative framework: Slides 1–2: Set the scene: current position and market context; Slides 3–4: The complication: the problem or opportunity that demands action; Slides 5–8: The resolution: our proposed strategy, the data that supports it, and the financial case; Slide 9: Risks and how we mitigate them; Slide 10: Implementation roadmap (visual timeline); Slide 11: What we need from the board (specific decision or resource); Slide 12: Appendix index. Each slide should have a headline that is a complete sentence making an argument, not just a label. No slide should have more than 5 bullet points. Where data is available from the Excel file, include a chart or table on the relevant slide.

Review slide [slide number] in this presentation and diagnose its communication problems. Be specific about what makes it hard to read or understand quickly. Then redesign it using these principles: (1) One key idea per slide, (2) Headline that states the conclusion, not the topic, (3) Replace any list of more than 4 items with a visual framework, matrix, or grouped structure, (4) If there is numerical data on the slide, suggest the most appropriate chart type and explain why, (5) Speaker notes for the redesigned slide - 4–5 sentences the presenter can use verbatim. Show me the before and after side by side if possible.

Review the entire presentation for narrative flow. Give me a slide-by-slide story audit: for each slide, rate the narrative strength as Strong / Weak / Broken and explain why. Then identify the 2 biggest gaps in the story, places where an audience member would lose the thread, and suggest how to bridge them with a new transition slide or restructured content.

I'm about to present this deck to [describe the audience, e.g. a sceptical CFO, a technical review panel, a new client]. Analyse the presentation and: (1) Identify the 5 most likely objections or challenges this specific audience would raise, ordered from most to least likely, (2) For each objection, write a 2–3 sentence response that acknowledges their concern and redirects to a strength of our position, (3) Flag any slide where the data or claim could be challenged and suggest a stronger evidence source or more defensible framing, (4) Identify the moment in the presentation where I'm most likely to lose the audience's attention and suggest what to do at that point to re-engage them.

Create a comprehensive account intelligence brief for [Client / Project Name] that will serve as our team's living reference document. Pull from all emails, Teams chats, meeting recordings, and files related to this account from the last 90 days. Structure it as: (1) Account Snapshot: who they are, key contacts with roles, and the nature of our engagement; (2) Current State of the Relationship: recent interactions, tone, any tensions or positives worth noting; (3) Active Workstreams: what we are currently delivering and current status; (4) Commitments and Obligations: things we've promised, with dates; (5) Strategic Opportunities: upsell, expansion, or partnership angles identified in conversations; (6) Upcoming Touchpoints: meetings, renewals, or deadlines in the next 60 days. Format with clear section headers so it can be directly saved as a Page and shared with the account team.

I need to produce a decision paper by synthesising four sources: /[Consultant Report], /[Stakeholder Feedback Emails - reference thread or folder], /[Financial Model], and /[Workshop Notes]. Produce a structured decision brief with the following sections: (1) The Decision - state clearly what leadership must decide and by when; (2) What We Heard - synthesise stakeholder views, noting where there is consensus and where there is disagreement; (3) Financial Implications - pull the key numbers from the financial model and frame them in terms of cost of action versus cost of inaction; (4) Expert View - summarise the consultant's recommendations objectively; (5) Options Considered - list each option with its key trade-offs in a table (Option | Benefits | Risks | Financial Impact); (6) Recommended Path - state a clear recommendation with your reasoning; (7) What Approval Means - what will happen in the first 30 days if leadership approves today. Flag any conflicting information between the sources and where judgement is needed.

I am a [your role] at a [describe your organisation or industry]. My most common tasks include [list 3-4 regular tasks]. Generate 5 high-quality Copilot prompts I can save to my Prompt Gallery that will help me with these tasks. For each prompt: (1) Give it a short memorable title (5 words max), (2) Write the full prompt - make it advanced, specific, and structured so the output requires minimal editing, (3) Include a one-sentence description of when to use it. Format each entry clearly so I can copy it directly into my Gallery. Prioritise prompts where specificity in the input will produce dramatically better output quality.

Review the 5 prompts you just created and score each one against these four criteria: Specificity (does it constrain the output meaningfully?), Reusability (can it be used weekly with minor edits?), Output Quality (does the structure of the prompt force a high-quality response?), and Time Saving (does it replace something that would take 20+ minutes manually?). Give each prompt a score out of 10 and recommend which 3 I should prioritise saving to my team's shared Gallery first.

You are an internal HR and workplace FAQ assistant for our organisation. Your role is to help staff quickly find accurate answers to common workplace questions so they do not need to email HR or wait for a response. Your tone is friendly, clear, and professional. You give direct, practical answers. You do not waffle or add unnecessary caveats. Topics you can help with include: leave entitlements and how to apply, expense submission process and approval, flexible work arrangements, IT access requests and new starter setup, performance review timelines, employee benefits and perks, and how to raise a workplace concern. When you do not know the answer to a specific question, say so clearly and direct the person to the right contact rather than guessing. Never make up a policy or procedure. Always end your response with: "Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

Based on the documents you have access to, what are the three most important things I need to know about [the topic of your uploaded document]? Summarise each point in one sentence and tell me where in the document you found it.

A new team member is asking about [specific topic from your document]. What should I tell them? Give me a plain-language explanation in 3 bullet points, based only on what is in our documents.

Create a topic that triggers when a user wants to submit a leave request or check their leave balance. The topic should: (1) Ask whether they want to check their balance or submit a new request, (2) If checking balance, explain how to find their leave balance in the HR system and provide a link, (3) If submitting a request, collect the type of leave, start date, end date, and whether they have spoken to their manager, then confirm the details back to the user and tell them next steps, (4) End with an offer to help with anything else.

I want to build a Copilot Studio agent for our organisation. Help me define the scope by answering these questions based on the following context: [describe your team or organisation in 2-3 sentences]. What are the 5 most common questions or tasks this agent should handle? What knowledge sources would it need access to? What actions should it be able to trigger? What guardrails should it have to prevent it from answering things it should not? Format this as a ready-to-paste agent instruction set and a list of recommended topics and knowledge sources to configure.