Microsoft Innovation Podcast

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM  This episode explores how AI is transforming hiring, reducing bias, and helping businesses reliably identify A players. Fletcher Wimbush shares practical steps for using AI to streamline job analysis, screening, assessments, and onboarding, giving small and mid sized businesses access to talent strategies once reserved for large enterprises. 👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/786     🎙️ What you’ll learn  How AI accelerates fact driven hiring How CEOs can attract top talent through direct outreach How to design effective screener questions with AI How assessments surface high potential candidates How AI enabled systems cut time to offer ✅ Highlights "It starts with having a great team." "AI came along and we were able to take that entire process and accelerate the timeframe." "A lot of hiring can be done almost completely on automatic using AI." "AI is way less biased than the human." "Ask some really well worded multiple choice questions that AI created for us." "It eliminated 90 percent of those applicants right off the bat because they've self selected." "Assessments do a phenomenal job of bringing the people with the right integrity and behavioural makeup to the surface." "I almost never hire anybody with direct experience." "We built the system from an AI lens." "We onboard folks and get them up and running almost instantly." "Hiring is mostly going to be automated in the next five years." "The people who really embrace that are going to be the architects driving results." 🧰 Mentioned The FACT Driven Hiring System eLearning Course - https://discovered.ai/hiring-academy/  Discovered - https://www.discovered.ai Y Combinator -  https://www.ycombinator.comHiring Expert GPT - https://chatgpt.com/g/g-ves0BxHrx-hiring-expert✅Keywords ai hiring, recruitment, assessments, a players, smb hiring, job analysis, screening, onboarding, bias reduction, automation, talent strategy, ceo outreach Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

Neil Fluester, a unified communications expert and the head of Logitech for business, shares his insights on elevating hybrid work. He discusses the transformation of Copilot from a basic task engine into an enhancement tool for workflows. Neil emphasizes the importance of thoughtful workspace design, including webcams, lighting, and teleprompters, to enhance meeting presence. He also explores how transcription and translation capabilities are reshaping collaboration, and he dives into home automation, revealing how smart setups can streamline daily routines.

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM  This episode explores how professionals in the Power Platform and Dynamics space can future‑proof their careers. Sarah Jones and Franco Musso share practical guidance on contracting, freelancing, niching, personal brand development, and navigating rapid change driven by AI. Their insights focus on building career security, creating flexibility, and designing work that supports long‑term growth. 👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/784 🎙️ What you’ll learn   How to transition from permanent roles to contracting and freelancing How to design a flexible work model that supports income and lifestyle goals How to build a personal brand that attracts clients How to niche effectively to strengthen positioning How AI and market shifts are reshaping job security and opportunity ✅ Highlights “You're expected to be with the same customer Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.” “I designed my work year. I can dictate what my day looks like.” “That freedom is quite special.” “It's about the value that you put on walking the kids to school together.” “It's whatever you choose it to be.” “People in permanent jobs are scared to leave their permanent job that they feel is secure.” “If you've got the chance now to get involved with the change, then do it.” “There's a powerful but limited window now for people in the business that are interested in the tech.” “You could be the absolute superstar in accounting AI.” “Selling to an existing customer is said to be 7 times cheaper.” “This gives 6 to 12 months runway for those people who might be thinking about it.” “The phenomenon of AI is coming.” 🧰 Mentioned Microsoft Power Platform https://powerplatform.microsoft.com/ Dynamics 365 https://dynamics.microsoft.com/ Power Pages https://powerpages.microsoft.com/ Scottish Summit https://scottishsummit.com/ ✅Keywords   power platform, dynamics 365, freelancing, contracting, ai, job security, personal brand, niching, career change, Microsoft, power pages, mentoring Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf 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  This episode explores how organisations can advance AI capability by shifting from siloed, linear thinking to ecosystem thinking. Barbara Wittmann outlines why many AI initiatives fail, how mindset transformation enables responsible adoption and where real innovation begins inside an organisation. She explains the role of the middle, why data foundations matter and how ethical leadership can guide sustainable AI-driven change. 👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/783    🎙️ What you’ll learn  How to identify AI use cases that align with real business strategy How mindset training supports sustainable AI transformation How to build cross departmental ecosystems that accelerate innovation How to move proofs of concept into production with stronger data baselines How to lead ethically during AI driven organisational change ✅ Highlights “What in the world are we doing with AI?” “Everyone is stuck on really making it work.” “We go in with a workshop called Mindset Before Machines.” “People want to fix their pressing issues without going to the root cause.” “We need to start thinking in constant innovation cycles.” “You cannot delegate complexity anymore.” “Technology is part of your DNA, not a side piece.” “AI implementation is essentially a very human problem.” “Values are grounding to us.” “Ethical transformation calls for wisdom in leadership.” “You have to understand the problem before you move to the next step.” “It is the miracle drug, the snake oil in the pioneer days.” 🧰 Mentioned LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarawittmann/ Digital Wisdom Collective: https://www.digitalwisdomcollective.com/mindset-before-machines Substack: https://digitalwisdomcollective.substack.com/  Company Website: https://www.digitalwisdomcollective.com/ ✅Keywords ai adoption, leadership, organisational change, ecosystems, mindset, data quality, innovation, proofs of concept, ethical transformation, productivity, strategy, silos Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf 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 The episode explores how Chris Stegh sees organisations balancing AI adoption with data security, governance and practical risk management. It covers the real barriers to scaling AI, why perfect data hygiene is unrealistic, and how leaders can use tools like Copilot, Purview and agentic AI to create safe, high‑value use cases while improving long‑term resilience.🎙️ Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/782  👉 What you’ll learn      How AI adoption is shaped by data security, quality and internal risk How to evaluate AI ROI beyond individual productivity gains How agentic AI supports secure, targeted use cases How Zero Trust thinking guides safer AI rollout How enterprise and SMB adoption patterns differ ✅ Highlights     “Data security is top of everyone’s mind.” “There hasn’t been a front page news article about data overexposure.” “AI is a long journey and we are just getting started.” “They’ll try to clamp down on Shadow AI.” “No one wants to clean up their data.” “Agents can give the good, real content front page.” “Everyone wants to evaluate payback period.” “Look at the end to end business process.” “Small and mediums are going to lag in those spaces.” “Some customers said we don’t see the use.” 🧰 Mentioned      Microsoft Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com/ Microsoft Purview: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/business/microsoft-purview OpenAI: https://www.openai.com Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 Chris' book on GenAI in the enterprise - Elevate The Enterprise Using Microsoft 365 Copilot: A Guide for Power Users, CxOs, and IT Pros - https://www.amazon.com/Elevate-Enterprise-Using-Copilot-Microsoft/dp/B0D6PZ539W ✅ Keywords    ai adoption, data security, governance, copilot, purview, shadow ai, agentic ai, zero trust, productivity, smb, enterprise, risk management Support the showIf 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 How frontier firms rethink processes with AI, not bolt it on. Samuel Boulanger shares practical ways to drive Copilot adoption: educate, empower champions, and start from scratch to redesign workflows. He shows how agents and workflow automation unlock meaningful ROI, and why applied, hands‑on skill beats theory. Clear guidance for tech pros: use it everywhere, iterate fast, and let the people closest to the work surface the highest‑impact use cases. 🎙️ Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/781👉 What you’ll learn    Identify and prioritise AI use cases by empowering teams closest to the work Structure prompt‑a‑thons to accelerate applied skill and adoption Redesign processes for agents and automation rather than “bolting on” AI Build bottom‑up Copilot champions and top‑down executive support Integrate Copilot across daily workflows to lift quality, speed, and ROI✅ Highlights   “You need to really put your hands on it and understand how it works.” “The biggest blocker right now to adoption is education.” “Being a frontier firm is applying to any kind of organisation.” “Start from scratch and say, what’s your goal? Now let’s do it with AI.” “Agents can collaborate with your team as well.” “Let your people envision it… they know the bottlenecks.” “Use it everywhere you can and add new releases to your workflow.” “You won’t lose your job to an AI. You will lose your job to somebody using an AI.” “Workflow agent for M365 Copilot is very impressive.” “I built an architecture document… in less than a day using this method.” 🧰 Mentioned     Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com Copilot Studio:  https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-copilot-studio Agent 365: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/blog/ Samuel’s Personal Blog: https://samuelboulanger.com Samuel’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@samuelboulangerAI Samuel’s Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0rKyALcqjbAIwN17eKzgtT?si=6AnQdAryR6uOLxllVlGOzg Samuel’s Apple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mastering-ai-with-the-experts/id1782919291 ✅ Keywords      copilot, copilot studio, agents, prompt‑a‑thon, frontier firms, adoption, governance, purview, entra, m365, power automate, power platform Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf 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/780 Discover how organisations can move beyond AI hype to real business value. In this episode, Jim Spignardo shares practical strategies for AI adoption, building digital literacy, and creating a culture where technology empowers every team. Learn how to start small, measure impact, and set up the right governance for sustainable, responsible AI transformation. 🎙️ What you’ll learn   Identify business problems that AI can solve, not just technology for its own sake Build cross-functional teams and secure executive sponsorship for AI initiatives Develop practical use cases and measure real outcomes from AI adoption Establish effective governance, data risk analysis, and usage policies Foster digital and AI literacy across all levels of the organisation ✅ Highlights “If you can't inventory those challenges and struggles, then all the AI and all the technology in the world is really not going to get you off the dime.” “Start with something small. Don’t try to boil the ocean.” “We have to have executive sponsorship and buy-in.” “It’s not an IT initiative. If all we're doing is talking to the folks in IT, we pretty much know that's going to most likely fail.” “We run them through a data risk analysis with their M365 data state.” “We build a centre of excellence in SharePoint and fill it up with all types of educational materials.” “We also work with them to develop a good AI usage policy.” “Train them on how to measure the impact and keep things moving, developing a champion programme.” “Shadow AI is real and we can't just pretend it doesn't exist.” “Experimentation is critically important in a safe environment where they can fail and be comfortable with it.”  🧰 Mentioned Microsoft 365 Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot  ProArch: https://www.proarch.com/  Microsoft Fabric: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric  SharePoint: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration ✅Keywords ai adoption, digital literacy, executive sponsorship, governance, data risk analysis, copilot, centre of excellence, use cases, champion programme, shadow ai, business transformation, responsible ai Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf 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 This episode explores how Copilot supports innovation, decision making and practical AI adoption across organisations. Amal Hosni Viteri shares her journey from development and DevOps into innovation leadership, describing how AI enhances productivity, reduces operational effort and helps teams focus on their specialities. She highlights the value of context‑aware tools, ethical use of AI and making technology accessible in Spanish‑speaking communities.🎙️ Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/779 👉 What you’ll learn     How to position Copilot as a partner, not a replacement How AI supports faster decision making and operational efficiency How to introduce responsible and ethical AI practices How developers can use Copilot for ideation and code reviews How to support AI adoption in multilingual and emerging markets ✅ Highlights     “Copilot is very nice in the context and knowledge about the context.” “Innovation is a goal for the organisations.” “Copilot is a partner for management, optimisation and automation.” “I changed my mind and work with the know about more for Copilot.” “The people is scared and oh my gosh in my first meet with Copilot.” “AI is only time you feel scared. I lost my work with AI.” “I try to review and double check because it’s not my mind.” “It prepares my day or organise my e‑mail and it’s a little work for me.” “I use Copilot with my team in GitHub for share many code lines.” “I think the innovation is not only technology. It is the process.” 🧰 Mentioned     Microsoft 365 — https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365 Copilot — https://www.microsoft.com/copilot Teams — https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams Microsoft communities in Colombia — https://techcommunity.microsoft.com Microsoft MVP YouTube Series - How to Become a Microsoft MVP - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzf0yupPbVkqdRJDPVE4PtTlm6quDhiu7 ✅ Keywords     copilot, microsoft 365, innovation, devops, scrum, github, automation, spanish, teams, sharepoint, ai adoption, context aware ai Support the showIf 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/778  James Diekman explores how AI and automation are reshaping project management, compliance, and business innovation. Learn practical strategies for embedding AI in workflows, managing risk, and building future-ready teams. Gain insights from real-world government and enterprise projects, with a focus on responsible, efficient, and scalable technology adoption. 🎙️ What you’ll learn  Identify where AI agents can streamline project management and reporting Apply responsible AI frameworks and assurance models in regulated sectors Build and test project-specific tools using low-code and AI platforms Integrate legal and compliance checks into AI solution delivery Develop a continuous improvement approach for AI adoption in your organisation ✅ Highlights “Roles like project coordinator will get transformed into AI agents or chat bots.” “Setting up a project brain for each project will transform quite a bit.” “We’re seeing a big appetite for AI, especially in New South Wales.” “Every AI solution for New South Wales government must go through an AI assurance framework assessment.” “You can ask the same question multiple times and get different answers.” “Legal teams are starting to use these technologies to enhance their workflows.” “There’s a real opportunity for cybersecurity firms to invest in red teaming for AI.” “If you don’t build AI into your processes, companies will get left behind.” “We use Copilot, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot for development and proposals.” “Don’t just build a chatbot for everything—map your organisation’s processes first.” “A dedicated team or working group should constantly prioritise and build AI capabilities.” “Government, you can’t really get wrong either. It can’t be hallucinating.” 🧰 Mentioned Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us  GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot  Cursor: https://cursor.com/  Windsurf: https://windsurf.com/  Microsoft Responsible AI Framework: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/responsible-ai  ✅Keywords ai, project management, automation, power platform, azure, dynamics 365, responsible ai, assurance framework, legal compliance, user acceptance testing, low-code, cybersecurity Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith

In this engaging discussion, Oliver Hartwich, a policy commentator and director of a New Zealand think tank, delves into the underestimated impact of AI on society. He emphasizes the need for curiosity, deep knowledge, and adaptability to fully harness AI’s capabilities. Hartwich also highlights how cultural attitudes, rather than geography, can hinder AI adoption. He argues for a robust educational framework to empower future generations, predicting a societal divide between those adept at using AI and those left behind.