When organisations introduce Copilot, much of the planning tends to sit with Internal Communications, Learning and IT. That makes sense. People need clear messages, proper training and guidance on how to use it safely.
But employees will start forming opinions before any of that arrives.
Some will be curious. Some will be hesitant. Others will quietly wonder what Copilot means for their role. If nobody talks about those questions early, people will start answering them for themselves.
This is where heads of teams can help.
They don’t need to explain the technology or have all the answers. They shouldn’t replace the formal communications or training. But they can start a simple conversation about how the team works today, where an AI assistant might genuinely help, and what concerns people already have.
That early conversation matters because it gives directors a clearer picture of how Copilot is likely to land across the organisation. It can surface practical opportunities, misunderstandings and concerns before the rollout begins.
Here is a simple four-step conversation heads of teams can use.
You could begin by saying something like:
“Copilot is coming soon, and we’ll all be learning it together. It’s a tool to help us work smarter, not harder. Before the training arrives, I’d like us to start thinking about where it could genuinely help and where it shouldn’t.”
That should only take a minute. You’re not trying to explain the technology. You’re simply making the purpose clear and letting people know that nobody is expected to understand everything immediately.
Ask the team:
“Which parts of your work feel repetitive, slow or administrative, where an assistant could help?”
There’s no need to turn this into a group debate. Some people will think more clearly if they have a little time on their own first. Let everyone write down their thoughts, then ask them to share briefly.
At this stage, you’re only looking for themes. You don’t need to decide what Copilot will or won’t be used for.
Once the team has considered where Copilot might help, ask:
“Are there any concerns or hesitations you would want addressed before we start using it?”
Keep this part neutral and reassuring. Listen without trying to fix everything there and then. The purpose is to understand what people are thinking, not to provide an immediate solution to every concern.
People should leave the conversation knowing a few things:
Once access and guidance are in place, you could ask anyone who experiments with Copilot to bring an example to a future team conversation, so people can share what is working and what isn’t.
Small, confident signals from a manager can reduce fear in ways that a policy on its own cannot, especially for people who are new to Copilot and generative AI. Managers don’t need to make the first conversation complicated. Start with the purpose. Understand how the team works. Listen to people’s concerns. Then give the team the reassurance they need to begin. It’s a simple way to introduce a change in how people work without overwhelming them.
If you're launching Copilot at work, it will change more than your technology, and affect how people work and how they experience that change. Let's explore together how practical guidance to prepare your teams can help with this important change.
