Task 1: Research Campaign Ideas

Using Business Chat (BizChat) in the Microsoft 365 App, research Giving Campaign ideas and philanthropic initiatives that align with corporate social responsibility goals. Focus on identifying successful strategies and emerging trends while aiming to brainstorm and develop at least one new Giving Campaign idea based on your findings. The goal of this task is to generate an idea to build on in the next steps.

Steps:

1. To launch Business Chat, open a new Edge browser tab and navigate to m365.cloud.microsoft/chat.

2. If prompted to sign in, log into your work account.

3. With BizChat open, ensure that the Web tab is selected:

   

4. Explore one or more of the prompting techniques below to help guide your research in Business Chat:

   • Single-Shot Prompting
   • Role Prompting (Persona-based Prompting)
   • Chain of Thought Prompting

5. Once you have finished researching your new Giving Campaign idea, save your program idea insights to the Word file you created earlier, titled Copilot Research.docx, for use in the next task.

Single-Shot Prompting

Single-shot prompting is a technique where a single, well-crafted prompt is used to generate a comprehensive response from the AI. This method works best when you need a quick, broad overview or when the problem or question is relatively straightforward. It allows the AI to generate a full response in one go, without the need for iterative questions.

For example:

Can you help brainstorm ideas for a new internal Giving Campaign that aligns with Microsoft's corporate social responsibility goals? Additionally, suggest local charities or communities that could be potential partners based on the campaign initiatives, focusing on [specific city/region].

In this method, you rely on the AI’s ability to provide a detailed and holistic response based on the single prompt. This approach is more efficient when you’re seeking a broad summary or a quick solution, but it may not allow for the same depth of exploration as Chain of Thought (CoT) prompting.

Role Prompting (Persona-Based Prompting)

Role prompting, or persona-based prompting, involves asking the AI to take on a specific role or perspective to tailor its responses. By assigning the AI a particular identity—such as an employee, a team lead, or an industry expert—you can generate responses that are more aligned with the responsibilities, goals, and mindset of that persona. This technique helps guide the AI’s responses toward more contextually relevant insights that reflect the challenges and priorities of that role.

Here’s an example of how you could apply role prompting:

You are an employee at Microsoft, and you've been tasked with creating a grassroots Giving Campaign focused on [environmental sustainability]. First, brainstorm and propose a specific campaign idea that aligns with your company's sustainability and social responsibility goals. Then, outline how you would engage your colleagues and suggest local charities or communities in [specific city/region] that could be potential partners to implement the campaign.

In this prompt, the AI assumes the role of an employee within your department, tasked with running a sustainability-focused campaign with the goal of rallying internal support and aligning the campaign with your department’s specific values and priorities.

Or, you can refine the focus further:

You are an employee at Microsoft who is passionate about improving educational opportunities for underserved communities. First, brainstorm and propose a specific Giving Campaign idea centered around [increasing access to technology in local schools]. Then, outline the steps you would take to mobilize your colleagues, build community partnerships, and suggest local organizations or schools in [specific city/region] that could be potential partners to implement the campaign.

Using role prompting in this way allows you to think critically about your role within your organization and develop a campaign that aligns with internal goals while making a meaningful external impact. It adds a personal and professional perspective, helping you tailor the campaign for maximum effectiveness.

Chain of Thought Prompting

A CoT prompt is a series of connected questions or statements designed to guide a person or AI through a step-by-step reasoning process. It helps break down complex topics by prompting the thinker to address one aspect at a time, building on previous responses to develop a deeper understanding or more comprehensive solution. Each step in the chain encourages reflection or analysis, with each question leading logically to the next, facilitating structured problem-solving or exploration.

For example

• Prompt 1:

    Can you identify common challenges that employee-led Giving Campaigns might face when trying to engage colleagues and have a long-term impact on local communities?
  

• Prompt 2:

    Based on those challenges, can you suggest creative elements or strategies that would help overcome these obstacles and make the campaign more effective?
  

• Prompt 3:

    Now, considering those strategies, can you propose a specific Giving Campaign idea that would have the most significant impact and align with Microsoft's corporate social responsibility goals? Please also suggest local charities or communities in [specific city/region] that we could partner with to implement the campaign and ensure it has a lasting local impact.
  

By using a CoT prompt, you encourage deeper engagement with the subject matter, leading to more thoughtful and well-rounded answers. This approach fosters a logical progression of ideas, making it easier to explore complex scenarios and arrive at actionable insights.

Next: Task 2

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