Evolving user enablement in the era of AI
Published Mar 07 2024 04:08 PM 5,452 Views
Community Manager

Our work in driving adoption is focused on nurturing business users, stakeholders, and organizations as a whole to get the maximum benefit from their selected technology experiences. This work manifests our #PeopleFirst strategy by being grounded in empathy for the user journey and the change fatigue that can be experienced when features are shared without the proper use case context and support. In the era of AI, this work must evolve to meet the moment and the needs of ourselves and our stakeholders. At Microsoft over the last year, we have been focused on learning how AI is influencing this critical area by listening and learning from customers, partners, and experts around the globe who are taking this journey with us.

 

Today marks an important milestone. We have launched the Copilot Success Kit, which integrates many new and existing resources and is based on our engagement with customers around the world. It covers the three core elements of AI enablement – the leadership journey, user enablement and technical readiness – with real world guidance and tools to support your implementation. You can read the blog in our Microsoft 365 Copilot community or go directly to the experience via our Copilot Hub at adoption.microsoft.com/copilot

Our overall implementation framework has evolved into the four phases shown below; get ready, onboard & engage, deliver impact, and extend & optimize:

User Enablement model for Microsoft 365User Enablement model for Microsoft 365

Horizontally aligned to these phases are the three core workstreams: the leadership journey, user enablement, and technical readiness. They are now expressed as distinct and equally important components of implementation. To be clear, user enablement is not a “bolt on” to technical readiness but both its own body of work and professional discipline. This now represents the new Microsoft 365 Implementation Framework, which we are publishing first in the context of Copilot. Over the coming months, you will see our existing documentation and guidance materials for other areas such as the new Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Viva, and others align to this model.

 

You will note our transition to the term “user enablement” from “adoption.” The adoption phrase will continue to be used from an overall executive leadership perspective in the context of “driving AI adoption” for an organization. However, our work with business users and group managers of an organization has a different outcome. We strive to create user satisfaction as a primary objective encouraging people to remain on a continuous path of progressive skilling. Consequently, our work is better described by the term "user enablement," and you will see this reflected across the Microsoft 365 content going forward, as evidenced first with our Copilot Success Kit resources.

 

This further reflects the cyclical nature of our work. In the most successful user enablement programs, there is a lifecycle of reviewing technology capabilities to build technical acumen, applying them to stated business goals through the employee engagement driven by Champions, and ongoing skilling programs. This progressive skilling journey is at the heart of what we do and is augmented by the flow of user feedback we receive.

 

In addition to these new resources, we have also launched the interactive Scenario Library on adoption.microsoft.com. This interactive methodology of aligning business scenarios to Microsoft 365 capabilities has long been planned for our site. Our work on Copilot enablement made clear the need to expand from our existing Day in the Life assets to an online experience that can be used interactively with customers and stakeholders. This is supported by downloadable content that can be customized and used in your own organizations. We’d love to hear your feedback in using it to train Champions and others on how to think of Copilot and Microsoft 365 apps.

 

Copilot for Microsoft 365 interactive scenario libraryCopilot for Microsoft 365 interactive scenario library

 

This community has long been a source of inspiration and learning for Microsoft, and we invite you to give feedback on our newly documented approach. Those of you who utilized the Microsoft Teams Success Kit will recognize some of this approach, but we have also evolved our content to support the unique needs of those on the journey to utilize Copilot across Microsoft 365 apps. Join us in the upcoming Microsoft 365 Champion community call to hear more discussion on this direction and what’s next for our supporting tools across other user enablement opportunities.

2 Comments