From experiment to habit: How the Copilot Flight Academy is transforming companies

The first 100 days at my new employer Wortell are over, and how they have flown by! It feels like the perfect time to look back on what I've had the pleasure of doing so far. Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to supervise the Copilot Flight Academy at various clients. A program where we work together to discover, embrace and effectively deploy Microsoft 365 Copilot. In this blog I will give you a look behind the scenes of these trajectories, without of course naming one specific client. Because while the approach is largely the same, each program is given a unique interpretation.

From start to growth: the core of the program

The success of the Copilot Flight Academy lies in the balance between inspiration, training and practice. Each program begins with a kick-off, where we set the goals and expectations together. This is often the moment when the first spark is created: the curiosity and enthusiasm to get started with Copilot.

Then, during the strategy workshops, we dive deeper into the link between Copilot and the client's business goals. This is where the contours of the possibilities become visible and a plan to optimally deploy Copilot emerges. Here we come up with handy KPIs with which we can measure the progress of the implementation during the program.

Inspiration remains an important element. In the Art of the Possible sessions we show what is possible with Copilot, often with concrete examples that can be directly applied in practice. It is great to see how enthusiastic people often become by the large amount of possibilities. From simply taking minutes of an online meeting to deploying specific SharePoint agents, there is plenty of inspiration.

In addition, in the Art of Prompting training, participants learn how to write effective prompts. This proves to be an eye-opener time and time again; after all, a good prompt is often the difference between an average and a great result. So it's important that your own creativity doesn't get in the way here.

The Labkit training brings everything together: theory becomes practice. In hands-on assignments participants experiment with Copilot and apply what they have learned directly in their daily work. This combination of learning and doing ensures that the knowledge really sticks.

Community building and habits: the key to adoption

An important aspect of Copilot adoption is community building. In order to use Copilot optimally, teams often need to learn a different way of working and new habits. Developing such habits takes an average of 30-90 days, so this is not done overnight. It takes time, and that's okay. Continuous support, inspiration and learning from each other are crucial in this process.

We can all already do our work without Copilot (after all, we've always done it that way). But that's precisely why it's important to keep reminding ourselves to actively use Copilot. Otherwise, the chances are that we will fall back into old habits. Building a community and regularly sharing successes help make this new way of working a permanent fixture. Ultimately, the goal is to make using Copilot as natural as “Googling” something. That requires consistency, patience and the right guidance.

We guide this community in various coaching sessions. In these sessions, we not only discuss the personal progress of the participants, but also look together at new features, useful prompts and possibilities for further improvement. We always conclude with an interactive assignment; a playful way to stimulate creativity and keep the fun going.

For some clients, we are now nearing the end of the program. This is the time to look back: What did we accomplish? What insights have we gained? Together we launch an evaluation and establish a roadmap for the future. An important part of this wrap-up is calculating the ROI of Copilot: did we achieve the predetermined KPIs? This helps not only to celebrate successes, but also to identify concrete areas for improvement for the future. Because adoption does not stop after the first successes; it is an ongoing process.

What will the future bring?

The Copilot Flight Academy is always evolving. New features, changing needs and technological innovations keep the program dynamic and relevant. My goal is not only to support customers in the here and now, but also to get them ready for the future.

Wondering how the Copilot Flight Academy can help your organization? Feel free to contact me, I'd love to tell you more about it!