What Copilot Actually Is
Your manager mentioned Copilot in the last all-hands. A few colleagues are already using it. You've heard the word a lot but you're not entirely sure what it actually does — or whether it's worth your time to find out.
“Explain what Microsoft Copilot is to someone who works in an office but doesn't have a technical background. Keep it short and practical.”
Copy this and paste it directly into Copilot.
Copilot works best when you treat it like a knowledgeable colleague who happens to be available immediately. The clearest prompts get the clearest answers. Asking it to explain things "for someone without a technical background" tells it the level to pitch at — and it listens.
I spent two weeks avoiding Copilot because I assumed I'd have to understand how it worked before I could use it. I didn't. You really don't either. Think of it like email: you don't need to know how the servers work to send a message.
Copy that prompt above and paste it into Copilot right now. Read the answer. Notice how it talks to you. That's the baseline — everything from here gets more useful.