Editor’s note: This is the third video in our ongoing series that showcases our in-house experts using real-world scenarios to explore the transformative capabilities of Microsoft 365 Copilot.

Kai Cheng is among our first employees to train her colleagues on how to use Microsoft 365 Copilot—she was there when we at Microsoft became the first enterprise to fully deploy it. She learned a lot during those early days, findings and insights that she is now happy to share with customers in this video.

Press play to hear Cheng share her best tips for getting your employees to start using Copilot at your company.

Kai Cheng gives examples of ways you can use Microsoft 365 Copilot to make your day more productive and improve the quality of your work.

Cheng says you should always start with the “why.” She also suggests you communicate how Copilot improves productivity and efficiency. For example, while most know that Copilot can summarize documents and recap meetings, she reminds us that these capabilities are just the beginning.

Digging deeper

According to Cheng, showing off the capabilities of Copilot is not just about saving time. Its true power lies in its ability to improve the quality of deliverables and help users build new skills. For instance, Cheng demonstrates how users can use Copilot to ask questions about a document, leading to a deeper understanding and more informed decision-making.

This approach transforms passive reading into active learning, enabling users to grasp complex information and apply it effectively.

Learning with Business Chat in Microsoft 365 Copilot

Cheng also highlights the potential of Business Chat as a powerful learning tool. Instead of relying on traditional search engines, users can ask Copilot to explain concepts in a way that’s tailored to their level of understanding. For example, a user from a non-technical background can ask Copilot to simplify explanations or provide relevant examples, making learning more personalized and accessible. This feature turns Copilot into a personal tutor, capable of adapting to individual learning styles.

Another significant benefit Cheng discusses is using Copilot to improve the quality of work deliverables. Beyond just drafting and editing documents, Copilot can suggest improvements such as adding visualizations or refining content to make it more compelling. This ensures that users not only complete tasks efficiently but also produce higher-quality outcomes that stand out.

Cheng encourages users to focus on how Copilot can unlock new productivity levels. For example, Copilot can automate routine tasks like meeting summaries and task prioritization, allowing users to spend more time on strategic, high-impact activities. By freeing up time, Copilot enables users to focus on what truly matters.

Before you demo Copilot

Cheng suggests that anyone preparing a Copilot demo always starts with three key considerations:

• First, how would you complete the task without Copilot?
• Second, how can Copilot improve the process?
• Finally, compare the two approaches to identify and communicate the specific benefits that Copilot offers.

This method ensures that your audience fully grasps the value of Copilot, making your training sessions more effective and impactful.

Thank you for watching Cheng’s presentation! We hope it helps you get started with your Copilot training and adoption efforts at your company.

• Check out Microsoft 365 Copilot.
• Interested in becoming a Copilot Champ? Sign up for our program. Make a difference. Become a Champion.

• Watch the first video in our Copilot Champs series: Showcasing how our product managers are using Microsoft Copilot.
• Watch the second video in our Copilot Champs series: Using Microsoft 365 Copilot as a trusted advisor for your Six Sigma projects.
• Learn more about how our Copilot Champs Community is helping drive Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption here at Microsoft.

• Want more information? Email us and include a link to this story and we’ll get back to you.
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The post Getting your Microsoft 365 Copilot training right appeared first on Inside Track Blog.

Ken Sexsmith recalls waiting quietly outside a conference room for a meeting about a new approach for promoting the annual security training at Microsoft. Earlier that day, his team, which is responsible for enterprise-wide digital security education, training, and awareness, was running a company-wide phishing simulation. While waiting for his meeting, Sexsmith overheard some employees questioning the validity of the phishing email.

One of them recalled a recent training and said, “Maybe we need to report it?”

“It was a lightbulb moment,” says Sexsmith, director of Security Education and Awareness in Microsoft Digital. “It was so encouraging to see how employees started talking about the email and knew precisely what to do. It was a highlight of our year.”

Getting to the point where employees recognize phishing emails did not occur overnight. Although Microsoft’s sophisticated anti-phishing technology helps protect customers and employees from targeted phishing campaigns, Microsoft employees still need to stay one step ahead of evolving security threats. To help them get there, Sexsmith set out to change how employees think and learn about security.

“We are on the frontlines of driving digital transformation through behavior and culture change,” says Sexsmith, who says lessons Microsoft learns internally are shared externally with the company’s customers.

[Learn how Microsoft implemented a Zero Trust security model.]

Sexsmith’s team wants to start a movement where everyone wants to be a part of the company’s security story; their goal is to make security personal and change ingrained behaviors.

“We had to win over the hearts and minds of employees,” Sexsmith says. “We had to flip traditional compliance training on its head to make security more engaging, relatable, and fun, but also emphasize the importance of employees using best practices and being responsible for security.”

Employees seeking out new security training

Sexsmith’s team created an engaging, interactive Security Foundations training that uses real-life examples of security threats that have affected Microsoft employees and teams. The training also features a local well-known actor and podcast host that employees can relate to. In its first year, nearly 63 percent of employees across the company took the training. Some employees thought the training was so great that they asked if they could share it with their family and friends.

“A lot of effort and energy was put into making training a more enjoyable experience while helping people not only build the proper skills, but retain the skills they learned,” says Erin Csonaki, an education and awareness program manager in Microsoft Digital who runs enterprise-wide training.

Coupled with phishing simulations and ongoing digital campaigns that highlight the digital security team’s strategy to keep the company and its data safe, the training helps employees learn about security risks and build skills that they can apply on a day-to-day basis.

Proof that it’s working? The once-optional Security Foundations training is now required for all Microsoft employees. The revamped training received an extremely positive response from employees and even won an external Telly Award.

“Because we had favorable feedback, we’ve gained credibility and can continue to push the envelope around the way we launch training this year,” Csonaki says.

Whether the team is running a highly technical training for engineers or an awareness campaign for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Csonaki says that it’s important to communicate the relevance of this training in their day-to-day work. For example, the Security Foundations training emphasizes never letting your guard down when handling email, posting on social media, or connecting to a public wireless network.

“A key for us is making it personal,” Sexsmith says. “The same things you do at home to secure your family are the same things you do at Microsoft. Your technology is vulnerable, and it only takes one minute for someone to take control of your device.”

Reinforcing learning year-round

Along with trainings, the team creates employee awareness about what phishing and other security threats could look like and provides guidance on how employees should respond. For example, Sexsmith’s team creates phishing simulations that are based on real, previously reported incidents.

Blythe Price, an education and awareness program manager on Sexsmith’s team, is responsible for the Phishing Education and Awareness program, which exposes employees to the experience of being phished and provides prevention education and reporting guidance.

“If an employee falls for the simulation and enters data or opens an attachment, an education moment is served up,” Price says. “This reinforces the best practices for spotting phishing, which is discussed in the Security Foundations training.”

The phishing scenario also teaches employees how to respond to security risks using the “Report Message” button in Outlook or in Microsoft’s internal security reporting channel.

“If it’s not quick and easy to report, a user may decide it’s not worth their time and abandon ship,” Price says. “You also have to make sure that the reporting mechanisms are where they are meant to be, whether it’s on a desktop or mobile browser.”

Learning moments from simulations and trainings are reinforced through ongoing awareness campaigns that align with events like National Cybersecurity Awareness Month or certain holidays. This ensures that the conversation about security is front and center for employees.

“You don’t have to know everything,” Sexsmith says. “You just have to know when to pause before entering your credentials and ask, ‘Am I moving too fast?’ That’s the change that we’re driving.”

Understanding the culture of an organization

For other teams or organizations interested in changing the way they approach security training, Price suggests evaluating what resonates with employees and adjusting accordingly. Price also attributes her team’s success to their emphasis on the “why” behind each training or awareness campaign. This has helped employees understand the importance of their participation.

“Instead of snapping to a model, it’s important to know the culture,” Price says. “Don’t be afraid to take chances if something isn’t working.”

Regardless of how you educate employees about security, it should be a two-way dialogue.

“It can be challenging, but it’s also a good opportunity to listen to what’s resonating with employees, and balance it with what’s needed from a security perspective,” Price says.

Sexsmith knows that his team’s approach to security training and awareness can’t rest on its laurels.

“I have a vision of continued evolution,” Sexsmith says. “I often challenge people to think differently, and that’s what got us here.”

• Check out the agenda for RSA, which includes Sexsmith’s session on how Microsoft is taking a different approach to security training.
• Listen to Sexsmith’s Ignite 2019 session about how Microsoft trains employees to be data stewards.
• Learn how Microsoft implemented a Zero Trust security model.

The post How Microsoft is transforming its approach to security training appeared first on Inside Track Blog.