Chris Fenning
  • Articles
    • Fundamental communication skills
    • Communication skills you need at work
    • Improving technical to business communication
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    • Online courses for better business communication
    • Individual coaching and training for better business communication
    • Team talks and training for better business communication
  • Books
  • Videos
  • Resources
    • Book resources and other material
    • Podcasts and other contributions
    • One Million Books For Students
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Podcasts and other contributions

All my podcast appearances and writing I’ve contributed to other websites or journals.

Podcasts

March 2025

Biz Book Pub Hub

Hosted by Robbie Samuels

We dig deep into the ins and outs of book publishing, the power of reviews, and balancing books with business goals. Chris shares his transformation from working in senior roles to becoming a successful solo author and trainer, with over 50,000 copies sold and translations in 15 languages. Chris reveals his three-year marketing strategy for his books, focusing on experimentation, data-driven decisions, and long-term success.

Listen
November 2024

Edtech Tuesdays

Hosted by Ewa Hutmacher

Improve your training sessions and outcomes significantly when you add some post-training support. Training doesn’t end when people leave the room. Discover what leaders can do to support and accelerate learning and increase the chance of valuable outcome.

Listen
November 2024

SELinEDU

Hosted by Krista Leh and Tammy Musiowsky-Borneman

Why do some educational conversations hit a wall while others build bridges? This episode discusses practical strategies for fostering collaboration and maintaining clear communication in educational settings.

Listen
October 2024

The Minimalist Educator Podcast

Hosted by Tammy Musiowsky-Borneman and Christine Arnold

In this episode, discover the secrets to effective communication and ensure your training sessions leave a lasting impact! We dive into strategies from his seminal works, “The First Minute” and “39 Ways to Make Training Stick,” revealing practical tips on reinforcing learning through repetition, feedback, and simplification.

Listen
September 2024

Reframe & Reset Your Career

Hosted by Harsha Boralessa

Chris and Harsha talk about focusing on gaining new skills & experience to help you stand out in your current role and to potential new employers. Not having to be an extrovert to be a good communicator. How communication can help you build your personal brand. Strategies to help you ace your next interview, and more.

Listen
September 2024

Speak With People

Hosted by Jason Raitz

Discover how to avoid common communication pitfalls, build strong professional relationships, and implement clear communication frameworks that boost productivity and understanding. Chris will show you how to bridge the gap between experts and non-experts, ensuring your messages resonate across all levels of your organization.

Listen
August 2024

Speaking With Confidence

Hosted by Tim Newman

In this episode, Chris and Tim dive deep into various aspects of communication—both verbal and written. Chris shares his personal journey of overcoming public speaking anxiety and the transformation he underwent to become a confident communicator. We discuss the significance of clear communication in project management and how to overcome the need for excessive information sharing. 

Listen
July 2024

You’re Worthless

Hosted by Nic Nierras

In this unconventionally titled show, Chris Fenning and Nic Nierras discuss the importance of understanding the context and purpose of communication in order to achieve desired outcomes. Chris also shares the impact of a personal experience on his sense of self-worth and shares his mantra of taking action instead of just talking about it.

Listen
April 2024

The Tech Leader’s Playbook

Hosted by Avetis Antaplyan

In this conversation, Chris Fenning and Avetis Antaplyan discuss effective communication in the workplace and in personal relationships. They explore topics such as brevity in emails, the balance between providing sufficient details and being concise, the importance of framing conversations, and the challenges of communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders. 

Listen
April 2024

Writer on the side

Hosted by Hassan Osman

Writing and marketing books is a core part of Chris’s business and he has a novel way of how he thinks about those tasks. On this episode, Hassan talks with Chris about he wrote and marketed his books.

Listen
April 2024

Work From The Inside Out

Hosted by Tammy Goeler Loob

Discover something new about Chris in this deep dive into his childhood and early career. If you’re interested in what makes Chris tick, and how he got to be where he is today, this is definitely worth a listen. 

Listen
April 2024

How to Be Awesome At Your Job

Hosted by Pete Mockaitis

Do you want to know how to capture your audience’s attention in 15 seconds? Why meetings feel like a waste—and how to fix that? Or the one question that’s ruining your reputation? To find out, listen to this episode on a show that has more than 25 million downloads.  

Listen
April 2024

Plan Grow Do

Hosted by Rob Taylor

Discover how The First Minute can help improve the outcomes of B2B sales conversations. Use GPS to discover your customers goals and problems, and then to share solutions that will help them. 

Listen
March 2024

Dads In Business

Hosted by Rob Taylor

Uncover the value of prioritising solutions over problems, and see how thorough preparation and consistent practice can significantly enhance your ability to communicate at work. 

Listen
March 2024

Champions Uncovered

Hosted by Carla Wasserfall

Dive into Chris’s award-winning book, The First Minute. Discover the frameworks from the book and how you can apply them to daily work communication. 

Listen
March 2024

Marketer of the day

Hosted by Robert Plank

Hear Chris’s insights on growing a business from scratch, writing books, recording audiobooks, and the nuances of podcasting. Plus a dive into some of the more common communication challenges we face at work. 

Listen
March 2024

Candid Conversations

Hosted by Charles Hsuan

Fear of selling, the journey from terrible communicator to communication trainer, and some specific tips for communicating better at work. Listen as Charles takes Chris on a journey through these topics and more. 

Listen
March 2024

EdTech Speaks

Hosted by Sher Downing PhD

In this episode Chris discusses his book, 39 Ways to Make Training Stick. Where the book idea came from, what’s in it, and how trainers and instructors can support learners after the training room lights go out. 

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March 2024

Effective ERP Communication

Hosted by Dr Jack G. Nestell

In this episode, we explore the essential tactics and strategies to bridge the gap between IT and business teams, ensuring successful ERP implementations and organizational change. 

Listen
March 2024

The Writing Docs

Hosted by Elizabeth & Sarah

It starts with the subject line. Improve your work emails, spend less time chasing people, and reclaim control of your inbox. Discover practical techniques that make emails shorter and clear, all from my award-winning book, Effective Emails. 

Listen
January 2024

Beyond Hard Skills

Hosted by Hrideep Barot

Beyond degrees and technical skills, success often hinges on the ability to engage in meaningful dialogue. Unlock the secrets of effective communication with me as I shares my expertise on navigating conversations that yield tangible results in the professional arena.

Listen
January 2024

Six Figure Speaker Spotlight

Hosted by Kelley O’Hara

Discover how I transformed from a corporate cog to a masterful speaker and author. In this talk I candidly open up about the hurdles I’ve faced, from battling impostor syndrome to the practical woes of cash flow and client acquisition. This story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the art of mastering one’s craft.

Listen
January 2024

Ways To Change The Workplace

Hosted by Prina Shah

Transform the way you think about workplace meetings and discover the keys to making every sit-down a springboard for team success. We delve into the nitty-gritty of why meetings often miss the mark, and look at practical tools that make meetings better.  

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January 2024

The Guiding Voice

Hosted by Naveen Samala

If IT and business teams can learn to speak each other’s language there is no limit to what they can achieve together. Discover how organizations can foster an environment where technical and business teams collaborate seamlessly, breaking down the ‘Us vs. Them’ mentality to communicate better and achieve common goals.

Listen
January 2024

Financial Freedom For Physicians 

Hosted by Dr Christopher Loo

Get a glimpse into my unconventional perspectives on communication, shedding light on why I choose to veer away from traditional topics like body language and active listening. Instead, I focuses on practical strategies that anyone, especially technical professionals, can apply in their daily work interactions. 

Listen
December 2023

The Happy Engineer

Hosted by Zach White

Turn your understanding of communication upside down in this wide ranging talk. What if communication skills aren’t really skills? And if communication is not a skill, then what is it? How can engineers learn to communicate with non-technical leaders better? All this, and much, much more, 

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November 2023

Speak Up

Hosted by Laura Camacho

Listen to the very first repeat guest appearance on Speak Up – the #2 rated communication podcast in the world. Laura and I discuss practical ways to handle everything from cognitive overload to communicating in complex situations.

Listen
October 2023

On the Schmooze

Hosted by Robbie Samuels

Get a behind the scenes look at my early life and career. Robbie’s artful questions walk through my unique journey from a childhood of solitude to a project management and communication training career, offering valuable insights into my perspective on leadership and personal growth.

Listen
October 2023

Brunton Media

Hosted by Carlton Brunton

Video is a powerful communication tool we should be using in our businesses. Carlton and I talk about the different ways in which video impacts our work. You’ll hear why it takes time to build the skills and confidence necessary to become comfortable on camera, as well as get tips on improving your onscreen communication.  

Listen
October 2023

97% Effective

Hosted by Michael Wenderoth

Who writes more effective emails: ChatGPT or you, after you read my book? You be the judge. Enjoyed discussing (and showing live) how to improve your written communication, in my lively interview with Michael Wenderoth on @97% Effective.

Listen
September 2023

How to Talk to Wierdos

Hosted by Jeremy Doran

A walk through some of the key lessons from my book The First Minute. Jeremy and I talk about how to get people interested in what you have to say to them, and how to keep them interested. Plus, we throw a little bit of neuroscience and a few stories into the mix.

Listen
November 2022

Knowledge Talks

Hosted by Abhishek Sengupta

A wide ranging discussion including how communication impacts employee engagement and productivity; communication up, across, down, and outside your company; the consequences of bad communication and more.

Listen
October 2022

97% Effective

Hosted by Michael Wenderoth

Poor communication is one of the top reasons people don’t get promoted. So it was a pleasure to speak with Michael about my book The First Minute. We walk through before-after examples, showing how to structure your business communication for maximum impact.

Listen
October 2022

The Power of Story and Science

Hosted by David Otey

If you happened to be an engineer who is comfortable speaking not only the language of engineering, but also the language of business, sales, and marketing, you would likely find some interesting doors opening for you. And that is precisely the story of today’s guest, Chris Fenning, who has spent much of his career in such boundary-spanning roles. Want to hear his four keys to success? Listen in.

Listen
March 2022

Video for All

Hosted by Julian Mather

A conversation about using video for communication in business. We talked about when video came on my radar, what the first videos were like (not good!), if video is an essential career skill and what others can do to lessen their anxiety about video presenting, and lots more.

Listen
November 2021

Motivational Monday

Hosted by Jim & Lucy

Digital body language. Cross generational communication. The pitfalls of giving detail in chronological order. Tone of voice when writing.

Listen
August 2021

The Savvy Dentist

Hosted by Dr Jesse Green

The difference between being a communicator and conversationalist. The power and benefits of reframing. The importance of frameworks and how the structure of a framework can guide you through a conversation. Tips for becoming more intentional. Understanding cultural overlay in communication.

Listen
August 2021

Conversations About Collaboration

Hosted by Phil Simon

How communication enables our species to develop. The impact of interrupting people throughout the day. Why core hours at work are always good. The benefits of incremental feedback in the moment. Does changing the medium of communication make things clearer? Why education doesn’t include communication and the glee my wife feels when she finds typos in my social media posts.

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July 2021

Toastcaster

Hosted by Greg Gazin

A deep dive into starting effective conversations using the frameworks in The First Minute. Get a new perspective on some familiar topics as Greg asks questions and makes connections between The First Minute and the real conversations we have every day.

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July 2021

Podfluence

Hosted by John Ball

How speaking from the stage highlights poor skills, being brief as an airline steward, techies can communicate, introverts aren’t always quiet, being brief, and putting the podcast host on the spot.

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April 2021

Communications Czars

Hosted by Roseann Galvan

Transform time-sucking meetings into productive updates, streamline all of your communications, and summarize complex information quickly.

Listen
April 2021

The Art of Communication

Hosted by Greg Rice

Bridging the communication gap (business vs IT), starting your communication clearly, impactful conversations.

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March 2021

Communication at Work – Ethical Marketing Service

Hosted by Thomas Green

Thomas and I dive into the techniques in my book The First Minute.

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March 2021

How to Start Conversations That Get Results

Hosted by Peter George

Peter and I go deep into my book The First Minute and talk about why we aren’t taught how to communicate at work.

Listen
March 2021

Speak Up!

Hosted by Laura Camacho

Laura and I dive into a few topics – including how to start conversations, the techniques in the first minute, communicating with remote teams, the status of communication training in education and how technical professionals have so much to learn just to keep up with the pace of change in their fields.

Listen
February 2021

The Heart of Dad

Hosted by Matt Fox

A step away from communications, this episode focuses on the pain and challenges of infertility. A journey that so many people are on, but isn’t talked about openly.

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February 2021

The Good Enough Project

Hosted by Will Taylor

Starting a business. Overcoming imposter syndrome. Finding our work passions.

Listen

Other contributions

December 2024

CBC Toronto

Out-of-office emails are getting a refresh — and helping employees set work-life boundaries

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Read
June 2024

TD Magazine

One-Size Post-Training Template That Fits All

Read
March 2024

Managementboek.nl

Introduction and overview of The First Minute, Dutch language edition

Read
January 2024

Toastmasters Online

5 ways to elevate your emails, the do’s and don’t’s of electronic communication at work. 

Read
January 2024

The Training Magazine

Leadership Development Has Never Been More Challenging or More Important. Quoted on the future of training.

Read
October 2023

The Fast Company

How to make training stick. Great ways to support trainees after they leave the room.

Read
March 2023

Reworked.co

Communication breakdown at work? Here’s what to do.

Read
June 2022

Harvard Business Review

How to deliver bad news to your boss.

Read
October 2021

Non-Fiction Authors Association

How do you locate speaking opportunities?

Read
August 2021

Non-Fiction Authors Association

Expert round-up: For non-fiction authors who’ve already been published, what would you do differently next time?

Read
August 2021

Industrial Process News

British business author recognised at prestigious American book awards

Read
March 2021

ClearPoint Strategy

10 key project management communication strategies

Read
October 2019

LinkedIn

Framing: How to start effective conversations every time

Read
Chris Fenning LinkedIn page
Chris Fenning YouTube channel

Training

Online courses
Coaching and individual training
Team talks and training

Books

The First Minute
Effective Emails
39 Ways to Make Training Stick
The First Minute Workbook
The First Minute Interview Answer Workbook

Articles

Fundamental communication skills
Communication skills you need at work
Improving technical to business communication

Other pages

Videos
Resources for books
Podcasts
About me
Contact
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