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Based on previous articles in this series , it’s clear to me now that Hollywood has all the answers we need to guide our professional lives. : ) From consulting skills to self-promotion tips, movies provide more wisdom about our day-to-day lives than a box of chocolates. And for guidance on career planning , we don’t have to look any further than the digital drama known as The Matrix. Here are a few rules we can learn from the saga of these hackers-turned-heroes. But remember, as we all know, some of these rules can be bent… others can be broken. Know When You’re In an Unhealthy Position – Before Morpheus freed Neo from the Matrix, Neo was one of millions of humans whose life energy was being harvested for the machines. Sometimes your job can be rather one-sided – you may feel like your time & talent is being used up, without a reciprocal feeling of reward. You have to be able to identify when you’re in an unhealthy position in your career. Signs of this are a lack of career mobility, and a culture that asks for long hours and extra work without an attempt to recognize or reward the effort. You’ll have to determine when it’s time to unplug.   A Mentor Can Help – A call from Morpheus helped guide a naïve Neo throughout the cubes and corridors of his office in an attempt to escape apprehension by the Agents. If you have a mentor at your job, especially one that has been in the organization for a long time, they may be able to help you understand the social or political ins-and-outs of the job, and can give you good advice about how to proceed with your career. A mentor, of course, is someone you can trust, and whose help stems from a desire to see you succeed. Try to gain a mentor relationship with a seasoned person at your job, or perhaps be a mentor to someone else.   Imitate Others, but Avoid Unhealthy Career Choices – Trinity remarked to Neo that “ …you move like they do… ”, after seeing him dodge a flurry of bullets fired from the gun of an Agent. Just as Neo’s imitation of his enemies’ techniques helped him in a crucial situation, we can also help ourselves in our career by making choices similar to those we’ve seen made by others, especially when the outcome of their choices match the outcomes we’re hoping for. But be careful – career planning is not a one-size-fits-all adventure. What works for someone else may not work well for us. Be prepared to dodge a career-ending bullet that may come in the form of a career decision that is not the right fit for you.   Use Your Colleagues for Tips & Advice – While waiting to be interviewed by The Oracle, Neo met a young friend with an interesting ability to bend a spoon. The boy later enlightened Neo that the secret was realizing that ‘there is no spoon’. Many times, our colleagues and peers may have good tips and advice for us regarding our career. Although we should carefully discern the good advice from the bad, we should be open to listening to the thoughts of our peers & friends in the organization when we ask their advice about our career options. You never know – one of them may be able to give you just the right tip you needed to take you to the next level.   Know When to Say “No” – Neo had to make many key Yes/No decisions on his path to becoming The One. He said Yes to Trinity’s invitation to meet Morpheus. He said Yes to Morpheus’ offer to take the red pill and learn the truth. But his most important decision was when he said No to the bullets flying at his head in the final battle scene with the Agents. It was this No that marked his enlightenment, and his transformation into The One. You, too, will have many options presented to you – both in your current position, as well as from offers by other companies. However, not all of them are what’s best for your career. Be prepared and willing to say No to options that don’t have your best interests in mind.   Although the Matrix isn’t real (or is it???), the career decisions that we make definitely are. But with careful planning, you can make the kind of decisions that set you on the right path, and bring you closer to the day when you can finally ‘free your mind’. : )   ** This blog post references scenes, phrases, and images from the movie "The Matrix". All rights to the movie and its content are owned by Warner Bros Pictures. The use of these references is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by Warner Bros Pictures.

I’ve probably watched "Coming to America" over a dozen times. But I never imagined it would become a metaphor for understanding artificial intelligence (AI). But as I delve deeper into the world of AI, I’m realizing that the journey of Prince Akeem and his loyal friend Semmi offers valuable lessons about technology, adaptation, and the human experience. Prompting: “Bark like a dog…” Prince Akeem was a master of iterative prompting. “Bark like a dog” was his first request of his bride-to-be, and “a big dog” was the second prompt that provided more context for what he expected the result to be.  Similarly, in AI, prompting is a crucial aspect. Providing the goal , the context , the source  and the expectation  in your prompt are proven techniques for getting great results, in addition to using multi-turn “conversation” sessions to fine tune the results. Just as Akeem's prompt led to a specific action, the prompts we give to AI systems guide their responses and actions. Hallucinations: “I met Dr. Martin Luther the King…” The owner of the local barber shop claimed he met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In fact, he was sure of it. While I can’t actually refute the validity of his claim, I feel pretty sure that Dr. King didn’t randomly come up to him and punch him in his chest. Nevertheless, this is a perfect example of hallucinations in AI. Sometimes, AI systems generate information that seems plausible but is entirely fabricated. These "hallucinations" can occur due to the AI's attempt to fill in gaps or create coherent narratives based on incomplete or unrelated data. It's essential to be aware of this phenomenon and verify the information provided by AI. Content Generation: “Back home I was in the family business…” Akeem's story about being a goat herder is a great analogy for AI content generation. Just as Akeem creatively crafts a narrative to fit his new identity, AI systems generate content based on the data and context they are given. The ability to produce imaginative and contextually relevant content is a key aspect of AI - imagine how much more creative Akeem's goat herder story might have been if he were given a chance to have an AI tool give him additional details and back story! Getting You Started: “Mortimer… we’re back!” AI tools are great for getting you started with you task – for many of us, an initial idea or a first draft to which we can then make our own modifications is all we need to finish strong. When Akeem gives a large sum of money to two currently homeless, formerly financial gurus during a nighttime stroll, it’s all the investment the two of them need to get back on their feet and use their Wall Street savvy to enlarge the investment. Similarly, AI tools can provide valuable assistance and resources to get you started on a project or task, but human expertise and creativity are still needed to complete it successfully. "Coming to America" is more than just a comedy classic; it's my source of inspiration for venturing into the world of AI. By understanding the importance of prompting, being aware of hallucinations, leveraging content generation, and recognizing the role of AI in getting me started, I can navigate the complexities of AI with the wisdom of Prince Akeem, and finally let my soul glow… 😉   Check out the livestream discussion of this article on YouTube! ** This blog post references scenes, phrases, and images from the movie "Coming to America." All rights to the movie and its content are owned by Paramount Pictures. The use of these references is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by Paramount Pictures.

https://aka.ms/cap4copilot AI-generated summary: This video is a Microsoft 365 Copilot livestream that focuses on identifying all the places you can find Copilot within the Microsoft 365 suite. Here's a breakdown: • 0:46 - 3:56: The video starts with a catchy intro song about Microsoft Copilot and then dives into the topic of the video- "finding all the copilots" • 3:56 - 7:26: The speaker focuses on more niche and specific copilots like custom agents built for a specific organization, co-pilots for different business functions (e.g. sales, finance), and co-pilots within specialized apps (e.g. Azure, GitHub) .7:26 - 13:50: The speaker moves on to discussing co-pilots within M365 applications covering stream, loop, whiteboard, Power Platform, and Microsoft Admin Center. • 13:50 - 20:29: The video then focuses on the main and popular copilots within M365 applications including PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Outlook, and OneDrive. • 20:29 - 22:57: One Note is discussed, and then the video touches upon the M365 copilot that can be found on your computer's taskbar. The speaker also covers both the consumer and work versions of Copilot. • 22:57 - 26:36: The speaker shows the consumer version of Copilot and how it can be accessed on a PC, followed by a brief mention of the Copilot app availability on mobile phones. • 26:36 - 30:26: The video concludes with the speaker acknowledging that they might have missed some Copilot locations, but encourages viewers to check out previous episodes of the livestream for more information. Overall, the video provides a good overview of the different Copilot applications and functionalities available within the Microsoft 365 suite.

https://aka.ms/cap4copilot Here's what's covered (AI-generated):   • Microsoft Copilot and its Integrations (2:20) • Ricardo discusses how Microsoft Copilot can work with other apps like OneNote, Outlook, and To-Do. (2:30- 9:25) • He shows how the Copilot can create a visual representation of these connections using Mermaid diagrams (9:25 - 14:05) • Using Your Voice with Copilot (4:36 22:25) • Ricardo highlights the benefit of using voice prompts over typing with Copilot. (4:36 - 8:12) • He demonstrates how to use the voice feature in both the mobile and desktop versions of Microsoft Copilot. (5:27- 22:25) • He also points out that Copilot can respond using voice as well! (17:46- 19:12) • The Power of Long, Detailed Prompts (19:27-20:08) • Ricardo emphasizes that Copilot works best with detailed and elaborate prompts, not short and simple ones (19:27 -20:08) • A Brief Look at Mermaid Diagrams (9:25-14:05) • A Mermaid diagram is a visual representation of connections that can be generated by Copilot. (9:25 - 1 4:05) • It's a great way to see how different applications are working together. (9:25 -14:05) • What is the "Marshmallow" Reference? (3:27 -4:31) • Ricardo throws out a challenge to viewers to explain the reference in the title and image. (3:27-4:31) • He promises "street cred" for whoever can get it right. (3:47 - 4:31) . The Next Session (23:36) • Ricardo announces the next session will be on Thursday at 3:30 PM Eastern. (23:36 - 23:42) • He invites viewers to suggest topics for future sessions. (23:54)

LinkedIn Post, 2022 If this debate resonates with you, then Yes... you are a Microsoft Teams  Geek. 🤓 ...but seriously, which side do you take on this argument? LOL Those that know me know that I'm a long-time  SharePoint  Lover . But these days, I lean towards the argument that end-users are best served by thinking about their files as Teams files, and ignoring SharePoint unless there's a need.  In other words, don't worry about the transmission in the car, just focus on the drive.... :)

aka.ms/cute4teams Generated by AI. Be sure to check for accuracy. Meeting notes: Super Resolution Feature: Ricardo discussed the new super resolution feature in Microsoft Teams, which enhances the incoming video feed for more clarity. He mentioned his interest in testing this feature, especially with his high-end camera setup, to see how it affects the video quality. Feature Overview: Ricardo explained that the super resolution feature automatically enhances the incoming video feed for more clarity by turning on super resolution. This feature is particularly relevant for users with high-end cameras, as it aims to improve the visual quality of video feeds. Testing Plans: Ricardo expressed his intention to test the super resolution feature with his high-end camera setup. He is curious to see how the feature will affect the video quality, especially in terms of highlighting imperfections in the skin and overall clarity. Network Considerations: Ricardo noted that the effectiveness of the super resolution feature may vary based on network bandwidth. He mentioned that having a strong network connection is likely to enhance the feature's performance, while poor bandwidth may limit its effectiveness. User Feedback: Ricardo asked if anyone in the meeting had tried the super resolution feature yet. He received feedback from the chat indicating that no one had tried it yet, and he expressed interest in hearing about others' experiences with the feature in the future. Flexible Window Resizing: Ricardo demonstrated the new ways to resize Teams windows, allowing for more compact window sizes and layouts for multitasking. He highlighted the benefits of this feature for users with portrait monitors and those who need to manage multiple windows during meetings. Feature Demonstration: Ricardo demonstrated the new flexible window resizing feature in Teams. He showed how users can resize windows to more compact sizes and adjust layouts for multitasking, making it easier to manage multiple windows during meetings. Portrait Monitor Benefits: Ricardo highlighted the benefits of the flexible window resizing feature for users with portrait monitors. He explained that the feature allows for better utilization of screen space, especially for viewing documents, spreadsheets, and chat in a vertical layout. Responsive Layouts: Ricardo showed how the Teams interface is responsive to window resizing, automatically adjusting the layout to prioritize different elements such as the people pane, chat, and shared content. This flexibility enhances the user experience during meetings. Multitasking Scenarios: Ricardo discussed various multitasking scenarios where the flexible window resizing feature is beneficial. He mentioned that users can place different Teams windows side by side, making it easier to monitor chat, view shared content, and interact with meeting participants simultaneously. Pop-Out Chat and Content: Ricardo showcased the ability to pop out chat and shared content into separate flexible windows during Teams meetings. He emphasized the advantages of this feature for presenters and participants who need to monitor chat and view shared content simultaneously. Feature Explanation: Ricardo explained the new feature that allows users to pop out chat and shared content into separate flexible windows during Teams meetings. This feature provides greater flexibility in managing different elements of the meeting interface. Presenter Benefits: Ricardo emphasized the advantages of the pop-out feature for presenters. He noted that it allows presenters to monitor chat in a separate window while viewing shared content in full resolution, enhancing their ability to engage with participants and manage the meeting effectively. Participant Benefits: Ricardo highlighted the benefits for meeting participants, who can now view shared content and chat simultaneously without missing any important information. This feature improves the overall meeting experience by allowing participants to stay engaged and informed. Multi-Monitor Setup: Ricardo mentioned that the pop-out feature is particularly useful for users with multi-monitor setups. He described how users can place different windows on separate monitors, optimizing their workspace and improving productivity during meetings. New Calendar Integration: Ricardo discussed the new calendar integration in Teams, which brings the functionality of the new Outlook UI into the Teams calendar. He mentioned the current limitations and the progress being made towards fully integrating Teams-specific tabs and features. Integration Overview: Ricardo discussed the new calendar integration in Teams, which incorporates the functionality of the new Outlook UI into the Teams calendar. This integration aims to provide a seamless experience for users managing their schedules and meetings. Current Limitations: Ricardo mentioned the current limitations of the new calendar integration, such as the absence of Teams-specific tabs like attendance and breakout rooms. He noted that these limitations are known and are being addressed by the development team. Progress and Updates: Ricardo highlighted the progress being made towards fully integrating Teams-specific features into the new calendar. He pointed out that the development team is actively working on addressing the limitations and improving the overall functionality of the calendar integration. Outlook Ribbon Integration: Ricardo noted the addition of the breakout rooms button in the Outlook ribbon as a sign of progress. This feature allows users to create and join breakout rooms directly from Outlook, indicating the ongoing efforts to enhance the integration between Teams and Outlook. Breakout Rooms in Outlook: Ricardo pointed out the new breakout rooms button in the Outlook ribbon, which allows users to create and join breakout rooms directly from Outlook. He highlighted the convenience of this feature for managing breakout rooms in Teams meetings. New Chat UI: Ricardo briefly mentioned the new chat UI in Teams, which combines chat and channels in one place. He expressed his love for this feature and suggested a future session dedicated to exploring its productivity benefits.

Last week I spoke to a group of local high school boys about how to safely and responsibly use tools like Facebook and Twitter. As you can probably guess, those tools are very popular with kids these days. The problem is, they many times use them inappropriately or recklessly. What I tried to get them to understand is that, these days, we live in a world where social media is mainstream. Perhaps 5 years ago, you could have gotten away with some ‘extreme behavior’ on Facebook, because nobody knew what it was, and no one was looking at it. Today, your co-workers, employers, and even potential employers are using these tools as ways to increase their ability to network with you, as well as research who you are and what you’re about. So essentially, these days we have to start realizing that our online behavior, and the information that can be found about us online, all impact our ‘personal brand’. For entertainers and professional athletes, this is not a new concept. Developing and protecting their ‘brand’ is a part of their business and affects their earning potential. But now, regular folks like you and I also have a brand to protect, and yes it can even affect our earning potential as potential employers use our brand to determine whether or not we would make a good asset to their company. For entertainers, traditional media is the playing field for their brand – mainly TV and print. For us, the playing field is the ever-growing ecosystem of social networking sites. I was told by teachers at the event that they heard a lot of good comments from the students after my presentation. It sounds like my advice really made them think about their use of these tools. But I also had some of the adults who attended the talk thank me afterwards as well – apparently even us grownups still have some things we can learn about using social media these days. :-) You can view the handouts I used here .

https://aka.ms/cap4copilot Here's what you'll learn (AI-generated): • Meeting retention policies: By default, Microsoft 365 automatically deletes old recordings that haven't been accessed. You can receive email alerts for when a recording is about to be deleted. (0:45 - 1:00, 5:00 - 6:15) • How to manage retention policies: You can manually change the expiration date for a recording in the "Stream" area. (6:45 - 8:45) • Copying meeting notes to OneNote: Use OneNote to save a copy of the Al generated meeting notes, including a link to the recording and shared PowerPoint presentations. This way, you have a permanent record of the meeting, even if the original recording is deleted. (9:45 - 11:00) • Using Copilot with OneNote: Ask Copilot questions about the meeting notes that you've copied to OneNote. (15:45-16:05) • Copilot during the meeting: There is a new feature where Copilot can transcribe the meeting without storing the transcript afterwards. This is useful for organizations that don't want recordings stored but want to use Copilot for real-time summaries and Q&A. (22:45 - 25:50) Key Takeaways: • Understanding how Microsoft 365 manages meeting recordings is important for ensuring access to important information, • OneNote is a great tool for saving and searching meeting notes. • Copilot offers new ways to collaborate and learn from meetings, even for organizations with strict retention policies

While I'm transitioning my SharePoint content to this teamworkcowbell.blog , you can see all my previous content at https://sharepointcowbell.blogspot.com

On this 2nd day of Kwanzaa, here's an AI prompt you could use in the spirit of Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)... "Help me write a personal reflection on Kujichagulia during Kwanzaa. Help show how I can define my identity, set my own goals, and shape my destiny. Include ways I can exercise self-determination in my daily life, such as setting personal milestones, making independent decisions, and embracing my unique path." Habari Gani! teamworkcowbell.blog/kwanzaaprompts

On this 3rd day of Kwanzaa, here's an AI prompt you could use in the spirit of Ujima (Collective Work & Responsibility)... "What are some issues in right now, around which I can create a community initiative to help address? Outline the steps required to bring this project to life, including gathering a team, setting goals, and delegating tasks. Include suggestions for partnerships with other organizations that might be helpful." Habari Gani! teamworkcowbell.blog/kwanzaaprompts

On this 4th day of Kwanzaa, here's an AI prompt you could use in the spirit of Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)... " Design a community event or initiative that promotes local businesses in my community and encourages collective economic growth. Outline the steps to organize this event, including reaching out to local entrepreneurs, planning activities that showcase their products or services, and creating a marketing strategy to attract participants. The marketing strategy should center around 3 themes: collective prosperity, community support, and shared success." Habari Gani! teamworkcowbell.blog/kwanzaaprompts