COMMON POWERUp 2026

While many developers would love to never speak to another human being, it is inevitable that someday they will have to. When software engineers leave their cubicles or home offices or whatever dark cave they write code in, they'll need the skills to communicate effectively. Communication skills come in handy even if you're sending an email instead of just standing up and walking 10ft to a colleague's desk.

This is a session not just for developers, but for anyone who has to talk to another human being, because effective communication is the key to success in your relationships, careers, and everyday life. As a professional in marketing and sales (Anna) and a software engineer who recently joined the IBM i platform (Justin), we’ve had to learn strategies to access complicated information and make it accessible to ourselves and our customers.

Join us to learn some new strategies that you can not only take back to the office, but utilize the moment you walk out of the session room. We’ll have time to workshop with attendees at the end of the session. Attend this session to maximize your conference experience!

Learning Objectives:
- Learn the steps of a successful communication process and how to avoid common pitfalls.
- Learn communication strategies for conversations with those outside your area of expertise.
- Learn how an AI tool can assist you with communication.