Writing, email and meetings

When you finish, you can describe and try common Copilot help in Word, Outlook and Teams, with the right checks.

Word: drafts and rewrites

Where your organization has it, Copilot in Word can create a first draft from your instructions, rewrite a paragraph in a different tone, summarize a long document, or suggest a clearer structure. It works best when you give it notes or a source file instead of asking for a document from nothing.

Weak: "Write a policy." Strong: "Draft a one-page remote work guideline for a team of twelve. Use these points: [bullets]. Use headings, plain language, and mark anything needing manager approval." Read every line. A guideline that sounds fine can still say something your organization does not intend.

Outlook: reading and replying

In Outlook, Copilot can summarize a long thread, draft a reply, or help change the tone of a message. It can save time on a crowded inbox. You still choose what to say and whether to send.

Worked example: Siti in Kuala Lumpur gets a thread of fifteen messages about a delayed shipment. He asks, "Summarize this thread, list who needs to do what, and draft a reply that asks the supplier for a new date." He checks the summary against the last three messages, edits the reply, and sends it.

Teams: meetings and recaps

In Teams, where recording or transcription is allowed and turned on, Copilot can help recap a meeting: decisions, action items and open questions. Features vary by license and by what your admin permits. Everyone should know when a meeting is being recorded or transcribed, and your organization may have rules about it.

Check recaps before you share them. A recap can attach an action to the wrong person or miss a joke or tone. Ask: "Quote the part of the meeting that supports each action item." Fix errors before they go to the whole team.

Keep your voice and judgment

Copilot drafts can sound generic. Add your own details, remove filler, and make sure the message sounds like you. Avoid letting a draft say more than you know or promise more than you can deliver.

If a message is sensitive, such as feedback on performance or a difficult decision, write it yourself or use Copilot only to check clarity. People deserve your own words when it matters.

Practice now

Take a real set of notes and ask Copilot, if available to you, to turn them into a one-page brief. Then edit it by hand and list what you changed.
Ask for a summary of a long email thread you are allowed to use. Compare it with the last three messages to see what it missed.

Use any AI assistant you have. Do not paste private, client or patient information into it.

Check yourself

1. What helps Word drafts most?

2. How can you check a meeting recap?

3. For a sensitive performance conversation, you should

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AI-drafted. Checked by an automated validator and a separate AI reviewer; a person has not read every lesson. Translations and tutor answers are AI-made. Found a mistake? Tell us. AI can be wrong. General information only, not professional advice. Not affiliated with any AI company named. Current University is not accredited.