If you’ve recently turned on Microsoft Copilot, you’ve probably had a moment where you’ve thought:
“That… doesn’t look right.”
Or worse—
“Should I even be seeing this?”
In our latest podcast episode, I sat down with Microsoft MVP Kevin McDonnell to talk about artificial intelligence, Copilot, and what it’s really revealing inside organisations today.
And here’s the reality:
👉 Copilot isn’t the problem
👉 It’s the mirror
The Wake-Up Call Organisations Weren’t Expecting
One of the biggest surprises for organisations isn’t how powerful Copilot is…
It’s how quickly it surfaces information they didn’t realise was accessible.
Because Copilot works based on your existing data and permissions.
So when it’s switched on, it doesn’t create new risks — it reveals the ones that already exist.
For years, organisations have been dealing with:
- Over-permissioned content
- Poorly structured SharePoint environments
- Outdated or duplicated information
- Lack of ownership and lifecycle
And now?
👉 It’s all visible — instantly
“Your AI Is Only As Good As Your Data” (Now It Matters)
We’ve all heard the phrase.
But with Copilot, it’s no longer theoretical.
Because Copilot doesn’t just retrieve information…
It interprets it, summarises it, and presents it back as truth.
Which means:
- A draft policy from years ago might appear as current
- Sensitive content might surface in the wrong context
- Poor structure becomes a barrier to accuracy
And suddenly, your data isn’t just messy…
👉 It’s influencing decisions
The Real Problem isn’t Knowledge
Organisations already know what they need:
- Better governance
- Stronger information architecture
- Effective lifecycle management
The challenge isn’t knowledge.
👉 It’s implementation
Because information leaders are expected to:
- Lead transformation
- Deliver compliance
- Fix data issues
…often on their own.
Copilot CoWork: When AI Moves From Answers to Action
This is where things shift.
Copilot CoWork doesn’t just answer questions — it can:
- Organise your work
- Prioritise tasks
- Take action on your behalf
- Begin structuring and managing data
It moves AI from assistant…
👉 To something that can actively support execution
But with one important consideration:
👉 Cost and control
So the real question becomes:
“Where does this create the most value?”
Governance Isn’t Optional Anymore
AI doesn’t fix bad data.
👉 It amplifies it
To get value from Copilot, organisations need:
- Clear permissions
- Structured environments
- Defined ownership
- Clean data lifecycle (ROT removed)
Without that:
👉 You scale risk
With it:
👉 You scale performance
The Role of the Information Leader Is Changing
Your role isn’t disappearing.
It’s evolving.
From:
- Gatekeeper
- Policy enforcer
To:
- Coach
- Influencer
- Strategic leader
Because the future isn’t about controlling information…
👉 It’s about enabling organisations to use it safely and effectively
Final Thought
Copilot isn’t the threat.
It’s the trigger.
It’s showing organisations what they’ve avoided fixing for years.
And for information leaders?
👉 This is your moment
Call to Action: Where All of This Comes Together
Everything we’ve talked about in this podcast—
- Copilot readiness
- Information architecture
- SharePoint and Teams governance
- Data lifecycle and ROT
- Compliance and risk
- AI and CoWork
…is already built into our learning ecosystem.
But here’s the difference:
👉 You don’t have to piece it together across multiple courses anymore
Inside the EMPOWER Accelerator, you get
- All of our Microsoft 365, governance, and Copilot courses
- A structured pathway (not random learning)
- Support while you implement — not just theory
- A SAFE → SECURE → SUPPORTED approach
This isn’t just training.
👉 It’s how you actually get the work done
Your Next Step
👉 Take the EMPOWER Scorecard
👉 Join a live session
👉 Explore the EMPOWER Accelerator
Because you don’t need more knowledge.
👉 You need the right environment to apply it
And you don’t have to do it alone.
