Microsoft Copilot Tips and Tricks to Track Tasks

Supercharge Task Management with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Key Concepts: Microsoft 365 Copilot, Task Management, Outlook, To Do, Teams, Meetings, Loop, Project Plan, Prompts, Action Items, Collaboration, AI Transcript, Loop Component.

Extracting Tasks from Emails in Outlook

• Main Point: Copilot can identify action items within unread emails.
• Process:
  1. Open Copilot pane in Outlook (top right corner).
  2. Enter a prompt like "Do I have any action items in my unread emails today?".
  3. Copilot summarizes tasks, including sender and action.
  4. Citations link directly to the original email for context.
• Example: Copilot identifies tasks from Patti (create a video teaser), Diego, and Alex.
• Integration with To Do: Flagging emails creates tasks in Microsoft To Do under the "Flagged email" category. Tasks can be configured with due dates, categories, and files. The source email is easily accessible from the To Do task.

Converting Tasks to a Table

• Main Point: Copilot can organize extracted tasks into a table for better tracking.
• Process:
  1. In the Copilot pane, enter a prompt like "Convert these tasks into a table".
  2. Copilot generates a table with columns for sender, action item, and deadline.
• Benefit: Provides a structured overview of all action items and their associated details.

Managing Tasks in Microsoft Teams

• Main Point: Copilot can extract action items from Teams chats and meetings.
• Chats:
  1. Open Copilot pane in a Teams chat (top right corner).
  2. Enter a prompt like "Extract all action items from this chat".
  3. Copilot identifies follow-ups from the conversation.
• Meetings:
  1. Enable transcript and Copilot at the beginning of the meeting.
  2. After the meeting, enter a prompt like "What open action items are there?".
  3. Copilot lists tasks with summaries and citations to the transcript.
• AI Transcript: The AI-generated transcript is accessible after the meeting, allowing for review by speaker. Copilot interactions are saved and accessible.
• Example: In a meeting about food safety and compliance, Copilot identifies tasks related to allergen labeling updates, supplier checks, and staff training.

Generating Project Plans with Copilot in Word

• Main Point: Copilot can create project plans from prompts in Microsoft Word.
• Process:
  1. In a Word document, use the inline Copilot icon.
  2. Enter a prompt like "Give me a list of actions to bake the largest chocolate chip cookie in the world".
  3. Copilot generates a project plan with multiple steps.
  4. Refine the plan by prompting Copilot to "Turn this into a table with the section, task, owner, and also due date".
• Example: Copilot generates a project plan for baking the world's largest chocolate chip cookie, including sections for planning, preparation, sourcing ingredients, and equipment.
• Limitation: Copilot's suggestions for owner and due date are estimates and may require manual adjustment.

Collaboration with Microsoft Loop

• Main Point: Microsoft Loop enables dynamic collaboration on project plans created with Copilot.
• Process:
  1. Copy the table from Word.
  2. Paste the table into a Loop page.
  3. Interact with Copilot within Loop to analyze the plan (e.g., "How many tasks does the baking team have?").
  4. Create a Loop component from the table.
  5. Copy the Loop component and paste it into an email in Outlook.
• Dynamic Updates: Changes made to the table in Loop are automatically reflected in the embedded component in the email.
• Example: Updating the owner of a task in Loop automatically updates the table in the Outlook email.

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 Copilot significantly enhances task management by extracting action items from emails, chats, and meetings, organizing them into tables, and generating project plans. Integration with Microsoft To Do and Microsoft Loop facilitates efficient tracking, collaboration, and dynamic updates across different applications. The use of prompts is key to leveraging Copilot's capabilities.

Additional Resources

• Copilot Lab: Provides guides and examples for writing effective prompts.
• Microsoft 365 Copilot Training: Offers free training courses tailored to different roles and functions.