The First Minute

How to Start Conversations That Get Results

by Chris Fenning

4.5(841 ratings)

14 min read

Brief overview

This book is a practical guide to structuring workplace conversations for greater clarity and efficiency. It shows how to present your ideas in under a minute, ensuring your audience instantly grasps the purpose, problem, and next steps. By applying these simple strategies, you can reduce miscommunication, shorten meetings, and propel your projects forward.

Introduction

In many workplaces, we ask “Do you have a minute?” without truly meaning just sixty seconds. The result is often scattered chats or extended back-and-forth. This book’s core premise is that the first minute of any conversation holds the greatest power to shape understanding, build rapport, and set a productive tone.

Starting strong ensures people know what you’re talking about, why it matters, and what action they should take. By presenting your key message up front, you create a clear roadmap before diving into details. This approach eliminates confusion and paves the way for more focused follow-up questions or feedback.

In the pages ahead, you’ll discover simple yet powerful frameworks like framing, goal-problem-solution summaries, and validation checkpoints. These techniques turn any conversation—whether face-to-face, on a call, or in an email—into a streamlined dialogue. From quick updates to major presentations, setting the stage properly helps everyone save time and reach outcomes faster.

As you read, remember these methods are flexible and meant to make your communication easier and more influential. The goal is not to pack every detail into a few seconds, but to ensure your main point resonates immediately and sparks meaningful exchanges.

Your best results often come from clarifying your intent within seconds.

The Power of Framing

Framing is the art of highlighting context, intent, and the key message within the first fifteen seconds. It’s especially useful in busy work environments packed with competing priorities. By telling your audience exactly what topic you’re discussing—and why you’re bringing it up—they can listen with the right mindset from the start.

Imagine announcing you have “urgent client news,” then revealing you only wanted to share a minor update. Vague openers can cause anxiety or wasted mental effort. Framing removes guesswork by lifting the curtain immediately: the listener knows whether they must help, decide on something, or simply absorb the information.

A strong frame involves being concise: mention the project or issue (context), clarify what you want from your listener (intent), and share the most critical detail (key message). This might be as brief as one or two sentences, but it radically reduces misunderstandings and restarts.

Whether you’re informing colleagues about a delay, requesting feedback from a manager, or asking for resources, a succinct frame sets up the rest of your conversation for streamlined collaboration. Remember, framing isn’t about skipping details altogether—it’s about ensuring everyone’s on the same page before diving deeper.

No problem is too complex (to be summarized in less than a minute). ~ Chris Fenning

Looking to dive deeper into The First Minute?

Download our app to unlock every key idea and gain full access.

What is The First Minute about?

'The First Minute: How to Start Conversations That Get Results' by Chris Fenning is an essential guide for enhancing workplace communication. Perfect for professionals aiming to augment efficiency in their interactions, the book addresses the common issue of miscommunication in modern business settings. Fenning's expertise shines through in this insightful book, as he introduces impactful methods to frame conversations succinctly with clarity and purpose.

Fenning elucidates how critical the first minute of any conversation is - it sets the stage for productive exchanges and minimizes misunderstandings. Through real-world examples and relatable scenarios, readers learn ingenious strategies for keeping communications clear and on-point. Whether you're an experienced leader or a newcomer navigating workplace dynamics, 'The First Minute' provides a concise framework that transforms every conversation into an opportunity for positive outcomes. This book holds key takeaways, including tips on framing conversations and structuring concise summaries, making it a must-read for anyone eager to refine their communication skills.

Prioritizing practical applications over theoretical models, Fenning's book is a valuable repository of actionable advice. It's crafted to empower readers with the tools they need to communicate effectively, validate their audience's time, and drive projects forward with purpose. Diving into tactical elements such as goal-problem-solution (GPS) techniques, readers are set to discover a new realm of constructive and focused dialogue that can reshape conventional communication methods.

Review of The First Minute

In 'The First Minute,' Chris Fenning delivers a remarkably insightful and practical guide to mastering communication. The book's strength lies in its clear articulation of structured communication techniques, designed to streamline information sharing in high-paced environments. Fenning captures the essence of effective dialogue - concise, clear, and directly actionable, catering perfectly to professionals looking to enhance their workplace interactions.

The exceptional clarity with which Fenning writes makes this book accessible to readers of diverse professional backgrounds. His emphasis on framing conversations accurately within the first 60 seconds ensures that every discussion begins with mutual understanding, significantly reducing instances of miscommunication. This approach not only respects the audience's time but also promotes successful outcomes in meetings, presentations, and daily interchanges.

Targeted at individuals aiming to refine their professional reputation through improved communication, 'The First Minute' is a goldmine of strategies that can be seamlessly integrated into daily practices. Fenning’s tactical advice on wielding goal-problem-solution frameworks, time checks, and validation checkpoints heralds a new era of structured dialogue across platforms. This book is an indispensable resource for anyone keen to leave a mark through competent and purposeful communication. Highly recommended for professionals ready to make every conversation count.

Who should read The First Minute?

Managers and team leaders seeking to enhance meeting efficiency and minimize miscommunication.
Project managers looking to drive their projects forward with structured and purposeful communication.
Business professionals engaged in high-stakes environments requiring clear and concise dialogue.
Individuals aspiring to improve their communication skills and workplace reputation.
Students and newcomers to the professional world eager to master effective communication from the start.

About the author

Chris Fenning is a renowned communications advisor and award-winning business author with over 20 years of experience in project, team, and leadership roles in global companies. He has written "The First Minute: How to Start Conversations That Get Results," a book focused on clear and concise communication at work. Fenning's expertise is backed by his extensive career, including senior director and project roles managing teams of up to 100 people. His book has received multiple awards, including the Axiom Business Book Award and the International Book Award, and he has also authored "Effective Emails," another guide to improving workplace communication.