Cognician

Collaborating with Microsoft to achieve a 200% enduring increase in agent usage was a 2025 work highlight. Celebrating a Learning Excellence Awards win for that project last night with our client, Kwadwo Benko, was a joy. Hearing his vision for scaling M365 Copilot training to 500,000 underprivileged people, and knowing that Cognician can help, was inspiring. We enter these awards, because it's gratifying to be recognised for high impact work. But these moments often set the scene for big, audacious thinking. In this instance, Kojo Benko brought the vision. And while he has many ideas for how to reach his goal, our primary principle is the same: you don't build AI capability by telling people how Copilot works. You get them to use it in meaningful ways. At Cognician that's what we call 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Any time you're ready, Kojo, let's get activating! #Copilot #AIAdoption #BehaviorChange #DigitalTransformation Mark Nixon Jaco Burger Trusha Vanmali Ilana Baragwanath Andre Boom Anisa Khan Darren Hardman Elena Kennedy Oana Terteleac James Colbert Jasminder Thind Mark Guiditta Kara Braniff Hobson Kuntal Das Ineke van de Geest Abhi Sharma Georgia Wisdom-Hill

𝟮𝟰 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗠𝗔𝗨 – #𝟭𝟮: 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘀 A great way to help people develop a new skill is to piggyback on their daily “field trips”. The places people go and the things they do are purposeful. If you’re trying to lift Copilot usage, you can capitalise on that purposefulness. In this context, a field trip isn’t a training exercise. It’s a real place someone goes during the workday, with a real job to do. Take a 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 in a bank. They walk into a room to meet with a customer. That moment is purposeful. They must anticipate the client’s needs, respond well in the moment, and move the relationship forward. Copilot supports the thinking around that field trip:  • before the meeting it helps clarify likely priorities and questions  • after the meeting it helps make sense of what was said and what matters next The meeting enables human connection. Copilot enables the humans who are connecting. Or take a 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿 in the energy sector. They’re physically on site, walking the plant, checking equipment, talking to technicians. Their purpose is safety, continuity, and readiness. Here, Copilot can be used before or between site visits:  • it helps surface patterns from recent incidents or inspections  • it highlights what deserves extra attention today  • it helps prioritise what to check next Again, the work stays real. Copilot sharpens judgment. To identify powerful use cases for Copilot, it helps to think in terms of field trips because:  • people are already going there  • something already matters to them  • the cognitive load they experience is real If you’re responsible for Copilot adoption at scale, this is something you can apply straight away: 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 “𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁”. 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗴𝗼. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱. This is post 12 in a 24 part series unpacking the behaviours that increase Copilot MAU at scale. This tactic is 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘀. #MicrosoftCopilot #CopilotMAU #AIAdoption #BehaviorChange #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseAI Georgia Wisdom-Hill Kwadwo Benko Jasminder Thind Abhi Sharma Elena Kennedy

𝟮𝟰 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗠𝗔𝗨 #𝟭𝟭: 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝗳-𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 Most knowledge workers operate by using “if-then” shortcuts in their thinking. “If this happens, then I do that.” A great way to increase AI adoption is to insert Copilot into those rules. Over a career, good knowledge workers collect a playbook of these kinds of shortcuts for getting work done. They look like this. If I’m stuck starting, I open last year’s document. If an email is sensitive, I sleep on it. If I need clarity, I call someone I trust. These aren’t conscious decisions. They’re habits shaped by experience. Effective Copilot adoption doesn’t try to replace that playbook. It extends it. A high‑performing adoption program helps participants make simple if–then plans that bring Copilot into moments of hesitation when friction usually wins. For example:  • If I don’t like my first draft, then I’ll ask Copilot to suggest alternatives.  • If my first draft feels vague, then I’ll ask Copilot how it could be clearer, sharper, or more decisive.  • If I’m unsure what question to ask next, then I’ll ask Copilot what an expert might do.  • If a decision feels subjective, then I’ll ask Copilot to surface trade‑offs, risks, and second‑order effects.  • If I’m repeating an explanation or analysis for the third time, then I’ll ask Copilot to generalise it into a reusable pattern.  • If I’m preparing to influence someone, then I’ll ask Copilot how the argument might land from their perspective.  • If a task feels harder than it should be, then I’ll ask Copilot what I might be over‑complicating. If you’re responsible for Copilot adoption at scale, this is something you can apply immediately: Help knowledge workers identify moments of hesitation they experience often. Then they can decide for themselves in advance when it would be useful to turn to Copilot. When Copilot is wired into familiar if–then rules, usage starts becoming a habit. This is post 11 in a 24‑part series unpacking the behaviours that increase Copilot MAU at scale. This tactic is 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝗳–𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀. #MicrosoftCopilot #CopilotMAU #AIAdoption #BehaviorChange #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseAI

Join this session to #activate sustained Copilot adoption by understanding what truly drives behavior at scale.

Today we are running the Laws of AI adoption webinar, please join us!

𝟮𝟰 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗠𝗔𝗨 – #𝟭𝟬: 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 When electric light was first introduced, early demonstrations focused on illuminating entire buildings to capture the imagination of the public. Impressive, but impersonal. What changed adoption wasn’t the spectacle. It was the moment people screwed in a single bulb and saw the warm light fill the interior of their home. A small action. An immediate realisation. Effective Copilot adoption works the same way. Rather than asking people to explore complex scenarios or “reimagine the way they work,” high performing programmes focus on small, doable Copilot actions embedded in daily work. Things like:  • summarising a document you already need to read  • drafting a first version you were about to write anyway  • rewriting something that’s already open on your screen No new workflow changes are required for this. No grand experiments. 𝟭. 𝗜𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 When the action is small, people don’t need motivation – they just need a nudge. Copilot feels practical, not experimental. 𝟮. 𝗜𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 Each small success creates confidence. Confidence reduces hesitation. Hesitation is what usually kills adoption. 𝟯. 𝗜𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 Copilot stops feeling like a special tool you use “when the time is right.” It becomes something you reach for in the flow of everyday work. If you’re responsible for Copilot adoption at scale, this is something you can apply immediately. Stop designing for impressive use cases. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘆, 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. When people experience Copilot as useful in small moments, bigger possibilities take care of themselves. This is post 10 in a 24 part series unpacking the behaviours that increase Copilot MAU at scale. This tactic is 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹. #MicrosoftCopilot #CopilotMAU #AIAdoption #BehaviorChange #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseAI

𝟮𝟰 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗠𝗔𝗨 – #𝟵: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 People don’t build the habit of using Copilot consistently because they’re told to. They persist because Copilot starts delivering outcomes they personally care about. That’s why effective Copilot adoption relies less on external rewards and more on self incentives. In high performing programmes, participants aren’t asked to hit usage targets. Instead, they’re invited to 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 “𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸” 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 when Copilot genuinely helps. Things like:  • time saved on real work  • higher quality drafts  • fewer frustrating rewrites  • lower cognitive load at the end of the day These wins matter because they’re immediate, meaningful, and self authored. When people explicitly notice, “Copilot just made this easier,” something important happens: the tool becomes associated with reduced effort, better outcomes, or less stress. That’s how usage targets actually get met: through intrinsic motivation. This appeal to intrinsic motivation is baked into how we design Copilot activation experiences, including our Microsoft listed solution for large scale adoption: https://lnkd.in/e4f3R7gk Over time, people don’t have to be reminded to use Copilot. They return to it because they want the same great outcome again. If you’re responsible for Copilot adoption at scale, this is something you can apply immediately. Don’t just ask whether your people used Copilot this week. Help people actively reflect on 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁. When the reward is personal, persistence follows naturally. This is post 9 in a 24 part series unpacking the behaviours that increase Copilot MAU at scale. This tactic is 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀. #MicrosoftCopilot #CopilotMAU #AIAdoption #BehaviorChange #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseAI Andre Boom Arnold Asiimwe Nkateko Mabunda (he/him) Trusha Vanmali