The Intelligence Age

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Practical insights on adopting Microsoft 365 Copilot and AI tools for real business impact. Learn how to identify quick wins, improve productivity, and master prompt engineering for better results.

🎙️ Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/766

🔑 What you’ll learn 

• How AI is reshaping workflows and productivity tools 
• Practical Copilot use cases for Outlook, Word, Teams, and PowerPoint 
• Why adoption programs and training matter for AI success 
• Techniques for effective prompt engineering 
• How to document processes quickly using Teams and Copilot 

👉 Highlights 

• "We're seeing a lot more summarization, a lot more drafting." 
• "Agentic is coming through with agents and agent-to-agent communication." 
• "You don't need to deploy it to everybody." 
• "It's really something that you need to have that adoption program in place." 
• "Prompt engineering does play a big role in it." 
• "How you use Copilot in Word is very different to how you use Copilot in Outlook." 
• "My daily one probably starts off in Outlook, summarizing the emails overnight." 
• "Create a presentation from a document." 
• "Teams transcripts are great." 
• "Copilot gives you that structure, that outline, and it's really quick." 
• "The design aspect has improved, that's kind of cool." 
• "Copilot for M365 is really aimed at the business user." 

🧰 Mentioned 

• Microsoft 365 Copilot - https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/copilot 
• Grammarly - https://www.grammarly.com 
• Cloudflare - https://www.cloudflare.com 
• Danielbrown.id.au - https://danielbrown.id.au 
• Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 

✅Keywords
ai adoption, microsoft 365 copilot, outlook productivity, teams transcripts, prompt engineering, power bi, word summarization, powerpoint design, bizchat, azure hosting, process documentation, business workflows 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

🔴 For full Show Notes 
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/765

Resilience, wellbeing, and lifelong learning are three levers for thriving in the Intelligence Age. Mark and Meg unpack how to reset after a hard year, design simple habits, and build confidence through practice. They explore personal stories of grief, burnout, and career uncertainty, and show how revisiting trusted books, building AI agents for health, money, and meaning, and turning learning into a weekly rhythm keep skills relevant for 2026 and beyond.

👉Join the private WhatsApp group for Q&A and community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/E0iyXcUVhpl9um7DuKLYEz

🎙️What you’ll learn
How to treat resilience as a repeatable practice, not a fixed trait.
How to design simple habits to reset mindset, health, and wellbeing after a hard season.
How personal AI agents could support health, mental health, finances, and meaning, and where to be cautious.
How to shift from one-off training to a lifelong learning habit that fits your style.
How uniquely human skills like creativity and emotional intelligence grow your confidence in an AI-enabled workplace.

✅Highlights
"Every single one of them requires practice. And I need the mindset of practice to also take my tendency to try and get to perfection."
"How do you bounce back after hard times, after hard things happen?"
"I know I can do hard things because I've done them before."
"There is a sense of burnout and wellbeing is probably not on the forefront."

🧰Mentioned
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance https://amzn.to/3XJIxz5
Man's Search for Meaning https://amzn.to/47VuMDu
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones https://amzn.to/3MhA5EG
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It https://amzn.to/3K5cYN8
Machines of Love and Grace https://www.darioamodei.com/essay/machines-of-loving-grace
Microsoftinnovationpodcast.com https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/

✅Connect with the hosts

Mark Smith: Blog https://www.nz365guy.com, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy

Meg Smith: Blog https://www.megsmith.nz, LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/megsmithnz

Subscribe, rate, and share with someone who wants to be future ready. Drop your questions in the comments or the WhatsApp group, and we may feature them in an upcoming episode.

✅Keywords: resilience, wellbeing, lifelong learning, ai agents, mental health, burnout, habits, meaning, skills, learning practice, teenagers, future skills

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/764

Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) in the Microsoft Power Platform is evolving rapidly, with new tools and automation capabilities making it more accessible—even for non-developers. In this episode, Benedikt Bergmann shares insights from authoring his book on ALM, navigating platform changes, and implementing DevOps pipelines for scalable governance. Learn how to streamline deployments, avoid common pitfalls, and build resilient ALM processes. 

🎙️ What you’ll learn   

• Set up automated ALM pipelines using Azure DevOps and GitHub 
• Understand the role of ALM in Power Platform governance 
• Navigate tooling updates and documentation gaps in Microsoft platforms 
• Structure technical content for clarity and consistency 
• Manage visual and code elements in professional publishing 

✅ Highlights    

• “Microsoft has invested a lot of money into improving everything around ALM.” 
• “You can't enforce the automated deployment yet, but it is transparent.” 
• “We use Azure DevOps pipelines in basically all of our projects.” 
• “I had to explain why I don't have anything—because documentation was lacking.” 
• “The first half is not very technical, the second half is really technical.” 
• “We decided we won’t print YAML files in a book—that’s not going to work.” 
• “I had to recreate images to avoid using official Microsoft visuals.” 

🧰 Mentioned     

•  Microsoft Power Platform - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform 
• Azure DevOps - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/devops/ 
• Packt Publishing - https://www.packtpub.com/ 
• Microsoft Documentation - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/docs/ 
• Microsoft MVP Summit - https://mvp.microsoft.com/MVPsummit 
•  Power Platform Pipelines Documentation - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/alm/pipelines
• Benedikt's Book: Application Lifecycle Management on Power Platform - https://www.amazon.com/Application-Lifecycle-Management-Microsoft-Platform-ebook/dp/B0DCW2RCTQ?ref_=ast_author_mpb

✅ Keywords     
power platform, application lifecycle management, alm, azure devops, github, citizen developers, governance, automation, yaml, publishing, microsoft documentation, pipelines

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/763 
 
Roy Lee shares how AI is reshaping productivity, education, and user interfaces. From redefining cheating to building ambient assistants, this episode explores the future of work, trust, and human creativity in an AI-driven world. 

🎙️ What you’ll learn 

• Reframe “cheating” as a productivity strategy in the AI era 
• Apply ambient AI tools to meetings and workflows 
• Rethink UI design for invisible, context-aware assistants 
• Understand Gen Z’s algorithm-native mindset and its impact 
• Evaluate output-based education and hiring models 

✅ Highlights 

• “Cluely is like a glass window that gives you exactly what you need.” 
• “We launched Cluely, the cheat-on-everything app.” 
• “Cheating will just be normal in tomorrow’s day.” 
• “We aim to be polarising and we are indeed pretty polarising.” 
• “Gen Z is algorithm-native, not just AI-native.” 
• “Legacy media probably has maybe 10 years max.” 
• “Human-guided thoughts, AI-generated output.” 
• “Tests based on rote memorisation will be obsolete.” 
• “Measure by output, not memorisation.” 
• “In two years, we’ll have hyper-personal assistants.” 
• “I’d rather be middle class now than a king in the 1600s.” 
• “Robots will automate 90% of blue-collar jobs.” 

🧰 Mentioned 

• Cluely - https://cluely.com 
• Interview Coder - https://www.interviewcoder.co 
• Intercom Finn - https://fin.ai 
• Cursor - https://cursor.com 
• VO3 - https://vo3.art 
• Google Flow - https://labs.google/flow/about 

 
✅Keywords 
ai productivity, ambient assistant, gen z tech, algorithm-native, ai ui design, cluely, interview coder, ai in education, output-based learning, ai truth, ai video generation, future of work 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

Frederick Anaafi shares his journey from Excel trainer to Microsoft MVP, highlighting how AI - especially Microsoft Copilot - is transforming productivity and career paths in Africa and beyond. He offers practical insights on building AI fluency, driving community-led tech adoption, and staying competitive in a rapidly evolving digital economy.

👉 ️ FULL SHOW NOTES
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/762

🎙️ What you’ll learn 

• How to build a tech career starting with Excel and Power BI 
• Why AI fluency is essential for modern professionals 
• Practical ways to adopt Microsoft Copilot without a subscription 
• How to lead community-driven tech initiatives 
• What it takes to become a Microsoft MVP in emerging markets 

✅ Highlights 

• “AI is the electricity of our era.” 
• “If you don’t learn AI, then yes, you will be left out.” 
• “Copilot helps you get results faster and be more efficient.” 
• “Before entering the corporate world, you need to know Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.” 
• “I failed the Excel Expert exam the first time, but I didn’t give up.” 
• “We had close to 200 people attend the first DynamicsCon West Africa.” 
• “AI engineering will be the ish—what people should really go into.” 
• “Trust in Copilot comes from knowing it’s secure and responsible.” 
• “We’re driving Copilot adoption through free virtual training.” 
• “In Ghana, we have fewer than 15 MVPs, but we’re growing.” 
• “The usefulness of Copilot is there—now we need to build trust.” 
• “I see AI transforming every industry we work in.” 

🧰 Mentioned 

• Microsoft Excel Expert Certification: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/exams/mo-211 
• Tableau: tableau.com 
• Power BI: microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/products/power-bi 
• Microsoft Copilot: copilot.microsoft.com 
• DynamicsCon West Africa: eventbrite.com/e/dynamicscon-regional-west-africa-tickets-1249579418679 
• MCT West Africa Summit: mctwestafrica.com 
• Microsoft MVP YouTube Series: How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 

✅Keywords 
ai fluency, microsoft copilot, power bi, excel expert, tableau, data analysis, mvp programme, tech community, ai adoption, microsoft 365, dynamics 365, west africa tech 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

🔴 For full Show Notes  
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/761

Personal leadership with AI means using it as a tailored amplifier, not an overlord. Meg and Mark unpack generational strengths in AI use, from structured Gen X prompts to Gen Z experimentation. They show how to turn books into personalised action plans with AI, build health and financial literacy, and create safe spaces for younger people to sharpen critical thinking. Listeners leave with ways to pair their strengths with AI, design better prompts, and lead on their own terms.

👉Join the private WhatsApp group for Q&A and community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/E0iyXcUVhpl9um7DuKLYEz

🎙️What you’ll learn

• How to use AI with leadership and habits books to create personalised questions, habits, and behaviour changes that fit your life.
• How to combine Kindle and Audible to read faster while staying focused on complex ideas.
• How Gen X, millennial, and Gen Z professionals tend to approach AI differently, and how to borrow strengths from each style.
• How to design prompt pipelines that move from exploration to refinement to final outputs you can put to work.

✅Highlights

• "The world is ending, AI is bad, the planet's burning, like up here and into the like, okay, actually, so what"
• "artificial intelligence will be just another helpful feature on the tech infrastructure that... serve our daily lives"
• "If we're not personally leading in our own lives with artificial intelligence, we are just going to be buffeted and swayed by other people's ideas."

🧰Mentioned

• Neil deGrasse Tyson https://amzn.to/485h2ot
• Seven habits of highly effective people https://amzn.to/49SK2lN
• The four hour work week https://amzn.to/49nMzEp
• Nix https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7z5lDsS6UP/?igsh=MXBzMXk4MDhlYjN6bQ%3D%3D AND https://www.tiktok.com/@cwknix
• Chris Huntingford https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishuntingford/

✅Connect with the hosts

Mark Smith:  
Blog https://www.nz365guy.com
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy

Meg Smith:  
Blog https://www.megsmith.nz
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/megsmithnz

Subscribe, rate, and share with someone who wants to be future ready. Drop your questions in the comments or the WhatsApp group, and we may feature them in an upcoming episode.

✅Keywords: personal leadership, ai, gen x, gen z, millennials, prompting, prompt pipelines, financial literacy, health literacy, ai literacy, vibe coding, strengthsfinder

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

AI in HR tech is evolving fast, but not always meaningfully. Emre Ok shares how to separate hype from real innovation, why context matters more than features, and how remote teams can stay connected in a world of AI-generated feedback. This episode explores practical ways leaders can use AI to enhance - not replace - human connection at work.

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/760   

🎙️ What you’ll learn 

• How to evaluate AI tools for real business impact
• Ways to use AI to improve performance reviews and feedback
• Why context-aware AI agents are the future of HR tech
• How remote teams can build stronger connections
• What leaders should ask before adopting new AI solutions

✅ Highlights 

• “Is the tech you're implementing making your employees lonelier?”
• “You might as well just go to ChatGPT on another browser.”
• “We didn’t want to do it just to put a sparkly AI icon on our website.”
• “Performance reviews get such a bad rep, especially when they're an Excel spreadsheet.”
• “If it has context, if it knows your people, that's when it's real.”
• “The talent pool is global now—and that’s both exciting and frightening.”
• “Checking for bias is always an option.”
• “Copilot didn’t live up to the hype—but it’s getting there.”
• “The office just isn’t a necessity anymore.”
• “You don’t want to force it, but you want to encourage it.”
• “The more AI adapts to how people work, the better it gets.”
• “It’s harder to detach from work when your bedroom is also your corner office.”

🧰 Mentioned 

•  Microsoft Teams - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/download-app
• TeamFlect - https://teamflect.com/
• Microsoft Copilot - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot/for-individuals/
• ChatGPT by OpenAI - https://chatgpt.com/

✅Keywords  
ai in hr tech, remote work, performance reviews, microsoft teams, copilot, employee engagement, feedback tools, bias detection, teamflect, chatgpt, hr software, workplace technology  

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

Tanja Wiehoff shares her journey from musical theatre to Microsoft 365 consulting, revealing how she helps organisations adopt Copilot and build an AI-first mindset. She outlines practical strategies for executive training, change management, and fostering AI fluency across teams.

👉 Full Show notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/759

🎙️ What you’ll learn 

• How to guide organisations through Copilot adoption 
• Ways to build an AI mindset across different roles 
• Why executive buy-in is critical for AI success 
• How to run effective Copilot workshops and labs 
• What makes AI fun and engaging for everyday users 

 ✅ Highlights 

• “You have to build up an AI mindset with all the employees.” 
• “Executives have to be a role model when it comes to AI usage.” 
• “It doesn’t make any sense to train them and then leave them alone.” 
• “Copilot isn’t always faster—it’s better quality and more creative.” 
• “We enable users before they even get a Copilot licence.” 
• “It’s not always about ROI—sometimes it’s just better work.” 
• “I use Copilot nearly every hour.” 
• “You need ongoing training and a knowledge platform.” 
• “Fun use cases matter—even if they don’t save money.” 
• “There’s no blueprint—it depends on company culture.” 
• “Executive sessions must be fast-paced and interactive.” 
• “The service agent even suggests when to publish the survey.” 

🧰 Mentioned     

• Microsoft 365: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365 
• Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot 
• Viva Connections: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-viva/connections 
• Viva Engage: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-viva/engage 
• SharePoint Online: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration 
• GPT-5 (OpenAI): https://openai.com/gpt-5 
• Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 

✅ Keywords 
copilot, ai mindset, microsoft 365, executive training, change management, viva engage, sharepoint online, gpt-5, intranet, service agent, adoption strategy, business transformation

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/758

Hosts: Mark Smith, Meg Smith

Ethical AI starts with transparency, accountability, and clear values. Mark and Meg unpack responsible AI principles, why non-deterministic systems still need reliability, and how ‘human in the loop’ and logging keep people accountable. They share a simple way to judge tools: trust, data use, terms that change, and clarity on training. You’ll see how to set personal and organisational boundaries, choose vendors, and schedule reviews as risks evolve. They also consider a public call to pause superintelligence, and argue for critical thinking over fear.

Join the private WhatsApp group for Q&A and community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/E0iyXcUVhpl9um7DuKLYEz

🎙️ What you’ll learn
- Build an ethics checklist around transparency, fairness, reliability, privacy, inclusiveness, and accountability.
- Evaluate tools for training stance, data use, privacy, and changing terms.
- Design human-in-the-loop workflows with unique credentials, logging, and audit trails.
- Set personal and organisational boundaries for acceptable AI use.
- Plan a review cadence to reassess risks, mitigations, and vendor changes.

✅Highlights
“we're going to be squarely in the land of robotics very soon.”
“the intelligence age is so much more than just AI it is the age of intelligence”
“if you're an unethical individual, AI is probably going to amplify it.”
“there is no ethical AI without transparency.”
“people should be accountable for AI systems.”

🧰Mentioned
Microsoft Responsible AI principles https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/principles-and-approach#ai-principles
IBM AI course https://www.ibm.com/training/learning-paths
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@nz365guy
Roomba https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roomba
Zoom TOS https://termly.io/resources/zoom-terms-of-service-controversy/

Connect with the hosts

Mark Smith:  
Blog https://www.nz365guy.com
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nz365guy

Meg Smith:  
Blog https://www.megsmith.nz
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/megsmithnz

Subscribe, rate, and share with someone who wants to be future ready. Drop your questions in the comments or the WhatsApp group, and we may feature them in an upcoming episode.

✅Keywords: 
responsible ai, ethical decision-making, transparency, accountability, fairness, privacy and security, non-deterministic, human in the loop, audit trail, intra id, superintelligence, terms and conditions

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 

👉 Full Show Notes
https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/757

Discover how automation and AI are reshaping enterprise operations through the Microsoft Power Platform. Joe Leo shares real-world use cases, lessons from scaling automation across 10,000+ users, and insights into integrating RPA, Power BI, and AI for smarter business processes.

🎙️ What you’ll learn     

• Build scalable automation using Power Platform tools 
• Replace manual checklists with real-time digital workflows 
• Use canvas apps to improve data quality and reduce maintenance 
• Integrate RPA with model-driven apps for centralised control 
• Navigate career shifts and personal branding in a competitive tech market 

✅ Highlights   

• “Macros were the way to automate work before Power Platform.” 
• “We had over 10,000 licenses… scaling to 100,000 users.” 
• “Cleaning logs on a clipboard became a canvas app with photo uploads.” 
• “200 Excel files emailed weekly—now replaced by a single app.” 
• “We deployed to 1,000 users in two weeks during COVID.” 
• “We created a model-driven app as a control station for automation.” 
• “Instead of inbox triggers, we used canvas apps to cleanse data.” 
• “Maintenance is the hidden cost—bots went offline mid-process.” 
• “Power apps are agile—changes deployed during a single call.” 
• “LinkedIn job posts get 100+ applicants in 15 minutes.” 
• “You’ve got to articulate your brand in a few minutes.” 
• “You can’t just build, deploy and forget—maintenance is ongoing.” 

🧰 Mentioned   

• Microsoft Power Platform - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform 
• UI Path - https://www.uipath.com/  
• Excel Macros - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/quick-start-create-a-macro-741130ca-080d-49f5-9471-1e5fb3d581a8  
• Canvas Apps - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/canvas-apps/  

✅ Keywords   
automation, power platform, canvas apps, model-driven apps, power automate, rpa, ai integration, business process, power bi, data quality, career branding, enterprise tech 

If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.

Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith