Man Vs. Copilot: Outlook

In a recent episode of "Man vs. Copilot," Amelia and Greg from Pragmatic Works put Microsoft Copilot in Outlook to the test by responding to a difficult email from a demanding boss. The challenge: who can craft the better email response – a human or Copilot?

The Challenge Setup

Greg and Amelia face a tense fictional email from a boss demanding immediate action on a delayed project, "Project Phoenix." The email is stern, with high expectations for a progress update by Monday and weekly reports thereafter. Both Greg and Amelia must respond effectively while maintaining professionalism and accountability.

Greg's Manual Email Attempt

Greg chooses the manual approach, drafting an email response without the help of Copilot. His steps include:

• Trying to remain neutral while acknowledging the delay.
• Avoiding direct blame while emphasizing collaboration.
• Confirming steps to meet the deadlines and provide updates.
• Struggling with phrasing and spelling corrections.

Greg's email is straightforward but lacks depth, and he notes the challenge of managing tone and professionalism under pressure.

Amelia Uses Copilot

Amelia, on the other hand, leverages Microsoft Copilot in Outlook to streamline her email response. Key features she utilizes include:

• Draft with Copilot: Amelia asks Copilot to draft a professional response, emphasizing her ability to deliver results.
• Adding Action Items: She prompts Copilot to include more specific next steps, like scheduling a meeting.
• Tone Adjustments: Copilot offers tone suggestions, helping Amelia sound more positive and solution-focused.
• Editing Options: She can make the email shorter, longer, more formal, or even poetic with a click.

Amelia also uses Copilot's Coaching feature to analyze Greg's response, providing feedback for improvement on clarity, positivity, and specificity.

Copilot's Coaching Feature in Action

Amelia takes Greg's manually written email and runs it through Copilot's coaching feature. Copilot suggests:

• Rewording vague phrases for clarity.
• Emphasizing collaboration rather than deflecting blame.
• Providing more specific action steps.

She applies the suggestions and sends the revised version back to Greg for learning purposes, highlighting Copilot’s ability to improve professional communication.

Scheduling with Copilot

Amelia goes a step further by using Copilot to schedule the requested project review meeting directly from Outlook. The tool automatically scans the email and sets up a Teams meeting with the appropriate participants, further streamlining productivity.

Key Takeaways from the Episode

• Accuracy: Copilot excelled in covering all action items mentioned in the original email.
• Speed: Copilot's AI-assisted draft was faster than Greg's manual attempt.
• Creativity and Tone: Copilot's positive language and structured suggestions gave Amelia the edge.

Final Verdict

While both Greg and Amelia made solid attempts, Copilot ultimately delivered a clearer, more professional, and efficient response. The ability to adjust tone, add action items, and even coach another email response made Copilot the winner of this challenge.

Don't forget to check out the Pragmatic Works' on-demand learning platform for more insightful content and training sessions on Copilot, Outlook, and other Microsoft applications. Be sure to subscribe to the Pragmatic Works YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks.