Personal Development & Growth: Communicating with Copilot

Struggling to get useful results from AI? In this episode of In the Know at Genus, we show you how to guide Copilot with clear, effective prompts. From writing updates to planning comms, learn how to communicate with AI like a teammate safely, simply, and with better results.

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Transcript

Welcome to In the Know at Genus. Today we’re talking about how to get the most out of AI specifically Microsoft CoPilot, our preferred tool at Genus. Let’s keep this simple. A I isn’t magic it’s smart, fast, and helpful, if you guide it properly. Think of it like a new team member. It can’t read your mind, so if you don’t give it clear instructions, it’ll just guess and often get it wrong or give you something far too basic. This is where prompts come in. A prompt is just a clear instruction. The more context you give what you want, how you want it to sound, who it’s for the better the output.
Here’s a quick example. I needed to write an update about a supply delay for a customer order. I typed into CoPilot, “Write a delay update.” It gave me a vague message that didn’t hit the mark it had no detail, no tone, and definitely wasn’t ready to send. So I tried again and said, “Write a professional but reassuring message to a long-term ABS customer, explaining that their delivery is delayed by 3 days due to a transport issue. Confirm the new delivery date and thank them for their patience.” That prompt gave me exactly what I needed because I was clear about the situation, the tone, and the outcome. I didn’t share names or sensitive info just enough to get a useful, safe, and accurate result. Here’s a fun way to think about it. I once asked an AI tool for a Barbeque sauce recipe. It gave me the basics ketchup, vinegar, sugar. But when I said, “Give me a bold, smoky sauce with a spicy kick that pairs with slow-cooked ribs,” the result was completely different—because I’d been specific. Same with your work. CoPilot can help with writing, summarising, planning, even reviewing data in Excel. But you have to educate it just like you’d onboard a new colleague. Tell it what good looks like. Tell it who it’s for. Tell it what you expect. But, and this is key—don’t share sensitive information. Never give it private customer details, personal data, confidential business strategy, or anything covered by data protection policies. A I is a tool, not a vault. Keep your prompts professional and secure.
Here’s a Genus example. If you’re writing a team update, don’t paste in personal performance info. Instead, say something like, “Summarise key project milestones for a cross-functional team, using a positive tone and bullet points for clarity.” That gives CoPilot enough to go on without crossing any lines. So, here’s a quick challenge: pick one task this week maybe it’s drafting a communication, planning a training update, or summarising a meeting. Try using CoPilot. Be clear in your prompt. Treat it like a person who’s helpful but new to the business. Guide it. And if you find a prompt that works really well, share it! Post it in Teams, drop it into Genus University, or mention it to your team. We’re all learning together.
That’s it from In the Know at Genus. Remember: CoPilot works best when you educate it with clear, safe, and purposeful prompts. It’s not about being technical it’s about being clear. See you next time!