How NOT to use Microsoft Copilot – During and after meetings

Microsoft Copilot is a powerful tool to boost your productivity during and after meetings. But what happens when you’re a native Spanish speaker, doing business with Japanese clients, in English? How do you still make the most of Copilot in such scenarios?

Think about your last meeting: juggling between taking notes, asking questions, and hoping you didn’t miss anything critical because their version of English didn’t quite match yours. With Copilot, you can leave that stress behind! Stay fully present during your meetings while Copilot takes notes and answers your questions—in the language you’re most comfortable with.

That said, Copilot isn’t magic. It works best when you know how to use it effectively. Below, we outline common mistakes to avoid so you can fully unlock its potential.

1. Not Setting Up Your Voice in Teams

If you’re running a meeting from a shared meeting room, make sure Teams is familiar with your voice. By setting up your voice profile, Copilot can distinguish between what you and others are saying. Without this setup, Copilot might miss key details or attribute statements to the wrong person.

2. Addressing Copilot in a Language You’re Not Comfortable With

A common mistake is asking Copilot questions in the meeting’s language instead of your preferred language. This can lead to miscommunication or inefficiencies in the follow-up steps.

For example, during or after your meeting, ask Copilot in your own language:

“What was the last thing [XX] said?”

Using a language you’re comfortable with ensures clarity and makes it easier for you to focus on the meeting itself.

3. Waiting Until After the Meeting to Engage Copilot

Don’t wait until the meeting is over to interact with Copilot. You can get better results by asking questions in real time, even if the meeting language differs from your preferred language.

For instance, during the meeting, you could ask:

“What details does [XX] need to share with the marketing team?”

Proactively engaging Copilot helps clarify information and ensures nothing critical is missed.

4. Asking Questions Without a Clear Goal

Copilot is there to help you achieve your goals, whether that’s clarifying key points or creating detailed meeting minutes. Without a clear objective, you might find its results unhelpful.

Ask yourself: What’s my purpose? What information do I need to make my next steps easier?

For example:

“Summarize the decisions made in the meeting for the project team, including action points.”

Having a goal in mind will make Copilot more effective and your outcomes more actionable.

5. Treating Copilot’s Meeting Recap as the Final Product

Copilot’s meeting recap is a starting point, not the finished result. You can edit it to include your insights, adjust the tone, or even translate it into another language to fit your audience.

For example, you might ask:

“Rewrite the recap in [Language] and include the questions I asked during the meeting.”

Or:

“Reformat the recap into meeting minutes format for email distribution to the client.”

Take advantage of Copilot’s flexibility to refine content and ensure it aligns with your needs.

Use Copilot Thoughtfully

Microsoft 365 Copilot is an incredible productivity tool, but like any tool, it works best when used strategically. By avoiding these common mistakes and keeping your goals in mind, you can maximize its potential to save time, improve clarity, and communicate effectively.

Next time you join a meeting, let Copilot handle the busywork so you can stay focused. Whether it’s capturing notes, answering your questions in real time, or creating polished recaps, Copilot is your partner in productivity.

Take a moment to think about what you need—and guide Copilot to help you get there, in the language you’re most comfortable with.