If you have ever come back from PTO and felt like your inbox multiplied while you were gone, you are not alone. Emails, Microsoft Teams pings, missed meetings, and a calendar that kept moving. The instinct is to start scrolling and “catch up.”
At GadellNet, we teach a different principle: you do not earn time back by reading more. You earn time back by making fewer, better decisions faster. When I speak about Microsoft Copilot, this is the point I come back to every time. Use AI to cut through noise, surface what actually changed, and turn the last few weeks into a simple re-entry plan you can execute.
So instead of opening Outlook and bracing for impact, start with Copilot as your Chief of Staff. In the next steps, I will show you exactly how to translate your backlog into priorities, stakeholder updates, and decisions, without burning your first few days back.
First, what’s the Difference Between Free and Paid Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot (consumer web experience)
This is the general Copilot many people use on the web. It primarily helps with broad questions, summarization, and drafting based on what you provide and what it can access publicly.
Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat (work chat experience)
Many organizations can access Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat at no additional cost with eligible Microsoft 365 business subscriptions. It is designed for work use and includes enterprise protections. Availability and features depend on your tenant configuration and policies.
Microsoft 365 Copilot (licensed add-on)
This is the paid, per-user license often referred to as “Microsoft 365 Copilot.” It is the version that typically delivers the strongest “catch me up” experience because it can ground responses in your organization’s work context across Microsoft 365, consistent with your permissions and governance.
Practical takeaway: If you want Copilot to reliably summarize your recent emails, meetings, chats, files, and tasks and turn them into a plan, you typically need Microsoft 365 Copilot (licensed) or a tenant setup where your work Copilot experience is enabled and appropriately grounded. Your access, DLP, retention, and permissions still apply.
Step 1: How Do I Build a Re-Entry Plan with Copilot?
Prompt: “Act as my Chief of Staff. From my work data in the last 30 days, create a prioritized 7-day re-entry plan with objectives, first steps, stakeholders, risks, and source links. Group by client health, revenue, ops, AI enablement. Cite all sources.”
Why it matters: Copilot shifts you from inbox triage to outcome-driven planning, so you focus on what matters most. You’ll get a table that organizes your priorities, stakeholders, and quick wins you can tackle today. You can easily adjust the timeframes (i.e. ‘in the last 30 days’) to better fit your needs.
Step 2: How Can I Quickly Update Stakeholders?
Prompt: “Create one-page briefs for (1) my manager, (2) my direct reports, and (3) my top customers. For each: what changed, decisions made, deadlines, and what I need from them. Include ready-to-send outreach drafts in an executive tone. Add links to the supporting threads/files/meetings. Cite sources.”
Why it matters: You’ll rebuild momentum and trust with the people who matter most, fast. Copilot can even draft messages for you to start drafts in Teams or Outlook.
Step 3: How Do I Find and Act on Open Decisions?
Prompt: “Summarize all open decisions involving me, propose default actions, and assemble a table (Decision | Context | Default Action | Owner | Deadline | Source Link). Flag time-sensitive items.”
Why it matters: Decision memos give you a single source of truth, saving hours of backreading. Copilot will highlight blockers and suggest next steps so you can move forward confidently.
Step 4: How Can I Catch Up on Missed Meetings?
Prompt: “Act as my Executive Assistant. From the last 30 days of meeting transcripts, identify all actions assigned to me. For each action: include context, owner, deadline, and source link. Then:
- Group actions by project or priority.
- Suggest calendar blocks for completion (include duration and rationale).
- Draft 3 sync invite templates with agenda, objectives, and expected outcomes.
Output in a structured table with columns: Action | Context | Owner | Deadline | Source Link | Suggested Calendar Block.”
Why it matters: Copilot helps you focus on execution, not note-taking. You’ll know exactly what you owe (and what others owe you) from missed meetings, grouped by project and deadline.
Step 5: How Do I Triage My Inbox Efficiently?
Prompt: “Cluster only high-priority emails (execs/manager/customers/flagged). For each cluster: gist, urgent next step, draft reply, source links. Summarize the top 10 actions in one table.”
Why it matters: You’ll replace scrolling with actionable clusters and clear next steps. Copilot can even draft replies for you, saving time and reducing stress.
How Do I Get the Best Results from Copilot?
- Ask for citations and links every time. It builds trust and makes verification a one-click process.
- Set the quality bar: “Use executive tone. If sources conflict, show both and recommend a path.”
- Force structure: “Output as a table; keep summaries under 5 lines each; include ‘first step’ for every item.”
- Respect governance: Copilot mirrors your access and policies (DLP, retention, SharePoint permissions).
Closing Thought
Reclaiming time by focusing on outcomes is powerful. You can use Copilot to turn the last few weeks into a clear plan, aligned with stakeholders, and decisive action.
Want to learn more about how GadellNet is helping organizations use Microsoft Copilot to improve efficiency? Contact us today.
