Soft Skills for Success

Proposed session for SQLBits 2026

TL; DR

Working in technology is great; there are rules to learn and techniques to master. You find the right way to tell the computer what to do, and it obeys. Then you have to interact with people—colleagues or clients—and things do not always go to plan. Learning these soft skills is essential for success. The good news is that these skills can also be learned. Join me in this highly interactive session, where I share hard-won techniques I use daily. I will share the methods and ideas I have used to succeed in my career. These strategies are easy to learn and can be used as soon as you leave. This is not a typical session; it is told with simple stories and practical techniques you can learn even in this short session. You will leave not only with suggestions but also a toolkit of practical techniques and insights into working with people. It will provide the tools to deal more successfully with others, making you feel more prepared and confident in your interactions.

Session Details

Working in technology is great; there are rules to learn and techniques to master. Guidance on how to do things correctly to get the desired results. Find the right way to tell the computer what to do; it does what you want. Computers obey the rules, and they do what we expect. Then you have to interact with people, maybe work colleagues or clients. Sometimes, things do not go to plan. Learning these soft skills is essential in helping you succeed and work with others. The good news is that these skills can also be learned.

Come and join me in this highly interactive session, where I share some of the hard-won techniques I use daily. I will share the methods and ideas I have used to succeed in my career. These ideas and strategies are easy to learn, and you can use them when you leave the session. This is not a typical session, its told with simple stories, easy to use techniques you can understand and learn even in this short session.

You will leave this session not only with ideas and suggestions but also with a toolkit of practical techniques and more than a few insights into working with people. It will give you the tools and techniques to deal more successfully with others, making you feel more prepared and confident in your interactions.

3 things you'll get out of this session

Develop better soft skills Work better with colleagues and customers alike Make some practical suggestions on way to improve soft skills

Robert French's other proposed sessions for 2026

Tech's Secret Sauce: The Power of Neurodiversity - 2026

Are Pie Charts Evil? - 2026

Why Am I Here? Dealing with Imposter Phenomenon - 2026

Robert French's previous sessions

How to be awesome at getting your next job

Finding that job you desire and want can be hard work. First, writing that CV that gets your name on the interview list. Then, making the first good impression at the interview, handling those tough questions easily. These skills are something you can learn This session, is based on many years real life hard won experience. What will be shared is tips and techniques that have got me jobs I wanted. This session is full of practical advice that you to can take away and use in your life. I will share some of the tips and techniques I have used to get roles over our career. * Creating a CV that gets noticed. * How to work with recruitment agents. * What to say when you speak with recruitment agents. * Ways to get your name to the top of the recruiter's list. * How to prepare for an interview * Get some insider tips on how to deal with those difficult interview questions. * What to say and what not say at an interview. * First hand advice from someone who has been on both sides of the job interview. When you leave this session, you have techniques and tips you can use as soon as you leave the session to help you in your search for that role you want.

Power BI Incremental refresh made simple.

Power BI has many amazing features that will make life much easier and more efficient. Yes, incremental refresh is one of them, so you read the official Microsoft documentation. Maybe once, then again, just a few more times. Now you have more questions than answers. Or was that just how I felt? If you thought the same thing or want to ask questions, this session is for you. This session will look at setting up incremental refreshes for both Dataflows and Datasets. Explain what ALL the different settings mean and words we can all understand. How will I perform this daring feat? Using a combination of words, pictures and examples. As part of the presentation, I will share the demo code so you can try this at home. Leaving this session, you will understand how to configure Incremental Refresh and use it when you return to your office. You will have a link to the code shown as part of the session. So that you to can see how it works.

The art and skill of listening

We all want to be listened to. In our busy world sometimes we forget how to listen, often to other people. There are advantages to listening, and its a skill we can learn.

10 reasons to look at using Azure Data Studio

Yet another new tool from Microsoft ! Why should you consider using it? Thats a good question. In this session we will explore at least 10 reasons to use the tool, and maybe a few more.