How Microsoft 365 & Copilot Are Redesigning the Way We Work with Tracy van der Schyff [MVP]

Microsoft 365 has given organizations more tools than ever to communicate, collaborate, automate, and manage information. Now Microsoft 365 Copilot adds an entirely new layer of AI capability. But behind all the discussion about productivity, automation, agents, and AI, there is a much bigger question: are these technologies simply helping us work faster, or are they fundamentally changing the way we think, learn, communicate, collaborate, and work?In this episode of m365.fm, Mirko Peters sits down with Tracy van der Schyff to explore the human side of Microsoft 365 and Copilot. Tracy has spent years working at the intersection of technology, productivity, digital literacy, training, adoption, and organizational change. Her focus is not simply on teaching people which buttons to click. It is about helping people understand technology, use it with purpose, and become more capable because of it.The conversation goes far beyond Copilot features. Mirko and Tracy discuss digital fluency, Microsoft 365 adoption, information management, AI readiness, change management, responsible AI, the broken digital workplace, and a powerful idea that runs throughout the episode: we design technology, but the technology we create and use also shapes us.

FROM DIGITAL LITERACY TO DIGITAL FLUENCY

For many years, organizations talked about PC literacy and later digital literacy. But Tracy believes those terms no longer fully describe the skills people need in a modern workplace.Knowing how to operate a computer is not enough. Knowing where a button is inside Microsoft Teams or how to upload a document to SharePoint does not necessarily mean somebody understands how to work effectively in a digital environment.Digital fluency goes further. It means understanding the purpose of a technology, knowing when it should be used, understanding how your actions affect other people, and using technology responsibly and intentionally.This becomes even more important as AI enters everyday work. Tracy explains how her original model of eight pillars of digital literacy has evolved into eleven pillars of digital fluency, now incorporating responsible AI use and the additional skills people need when working alongside AI systems.The important distinction is that these are not simply Microsoft 365 skills. They are becoming life skills.AI is also creating unexpected opportunities to develop human skills. Communicating effectively with Copilot requires people to explain what they actually want. Better questions can produce better answers, and those answers can help people formulate better questions the next time. In that sense, working with AI can improve communication, creativity, critical thinking, and the ability to express intent clearly.

THE MICROSOFT 365 TOOL OVERLOAD PROBLEM

Teams, Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, Loop, Planner, Lists, Power Platform, Copilot and countless other applications give employees enormous capabilities. But providing access to tools does not automatically teach people how those tools should fit together.Organizations often deploy technology and expect employees to figure out the rest.That can result in departmental information being shared from personal OneDrive accounts, Teams being created simply for individual meetings, documents being stored in inappropriate locations, and employees constantly switching between tools without understanding where work actually belongs.When that happens, Tracy argues that blaming users is the wrong response.If an employee was never taught the intent behind Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook, or another application, they will naturally choose whatever tool helps them complete the immediate task. The underlying problem is often not the employee. It is the absence of a clear digital strategy.

ME, WE, US: SIMPLIFYING THE DIGITAL WORKPLACE

One framework Tracy uses to make the Microsoft 365 environment easier to understand is ME, WE, US.The ME space...