The Power of Moments

Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact

By: Chip Heath, Dan Heath

Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb

Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's Summary

The New York Times best-selling authors of Switch and Made to Stick explore why certain brief experiences can jolt, elevate and change us - and how we can learn to create such extraordinary moments in our life and work.

What if a teacher could design a lesson that he knew his students would remember 20 years later? What if a doctor or nurse knew how to orchestrate moments that would bring more comfort to patients? What if you had a better sense of how to create memories that matter for your children? Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck - but why leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them?

In The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath explore the stories of people who have created standout moments, from the owners who transformed an utterly mediocre hotel into one of the best-loved properties in Los Angeles by conjuring moments of magic for guests, to the scrappy team that turned around one of the worst elementary schools in the country by embracing an intervention that lasts less than an hour.

Filled with remarkable tales and practical insights, The Power of Moments proves we all have the power to transform ordinary experiences into unforgettable ones.

©2017 Chip Heath and Dan Heath (P)2017 Random House Audiobooks

Great book!

Great insight on what makes some moments more meaningful than others. Provides a nice framework on how to create more meaningful moments for yourself and others.

Straight to the point!

Moments can be defined by elevation , pride, insight or connection (EPIC). Some moments might have some, all or one of those. People tend to remember only the good parts of an event. For instance if you rate a experience throughout the day with an average of 6, but with peaks of 9 and 10, probably you would rate it as a 9,5 after a while and not a 6. This is due to a psychological characteristic we have.

There are also some times of moments. A milestone, a transition or a pit. An experience did on having your hand on a cold bucket for 60 seconds was worst rated than a 60 seconded followed by a warmer (but still cold) for additional 15 seconds. This is because we value a transition.

People tend not to think to make good moments. There is for example a first day experience where John Deere put the name of the new hire on the screen at the entrance, put a sign next to the table and sent a video from the CEO. Banks for example could do it for a first account opening for a young, a reminder when someone marries or buys a house. Fit bit for example gives trophy for small achievements.

To improve customer experience companies need to fill the pits and create peak moments. Most of the companies are good at filling the pits (which is an important thing to do) but few focus on creating peaks. There is a study that it’s a better financial decision to improve the positive experience than eliminating bad ones. But most of the companies and even in personal life, people tendo to ignore it. This is a task where you need effort, planning and execution. The John Deere experience for example, not all the countries implemented it even with all the planning already done. There are some people that need a trauma like a disease to start worrying on creating moments. Don’t be one of them!

For creating a peak moment you should improve the censorial experience (sounds, touch and smell), raise the stakes and to break the script. For this, you should break it strategically and you should know in detail the script before hand. It’s also important to please not only the clients but also your team. The preat a manger cafe house had the strategy to give free things on the employee decision on whom they liked more. It’s also important to it not to be a expected surprise. It’s harder for companies that have frequent clients (like the cafe).

Psychologically our minds also tends to stretch surprise moments. Most of the moments we rank as more important happens between the ages of 15 to 30. This is where most of the thing are new (having kids, marring, job, etc). A study proved that showing several pictures of brow boots and one red alarm clock. Each picture was showed for the same period, but people tend to say the alarm was showiness more time. This is why it’s also important to break the script and create surprises. This was the case for Vf company, a fashion conglomerate, that instead of having their annual meeting with a ppt presentation, they made outside events (with the purpose of innovating).

Another strategy for crystallizing the truth is to make the people to have their insights. CLST, had a program to reduce open door defecation. They gave free samples of a urinators but because of a cultural behavior they didn’t used it. The strategy was to dramatize and make them understand it by themselves. The person started asking questions and ultimately gave a glass of water with a hair that was put into shit and comparing with flies on the food. Another case made employees that had good product but hard to use, to actually use the product and understand why it was difficult (the insights came from them selves). Another test, asks teachers what they wanted their students to remember from their classes. Most said they wanted they to keep the interest on the subject and the love for math, history, etc (and not a specific formula or specific things). But when they were asked what they did to make that happen, a silent came at the room.

Also, to test your limits you should sometimes stretch your experiences and to know you better. A menthol should push with support and guidance and the mentee should stretch.

To create moments of recognition, it should personal. It can’t be some rule or create an awkward moment.

To create a moment of pride you can use recognition, as said before, but also with multiplying milestones and practice courage. Courage a moment of pride, but it’s difficult to practice it in real life. That’s why you need to be prepared for these moments (like on a anti drugs group for teenagers, they prepared the students on how to recuse drugs in a party - it is also important because one brave person can make a crowd to stand up).

For milestones we should think on better motivating milestones like instead of losing weight, prefer fitting in a certain dress.

Purpose is better than passion. This is because it creates a connection between people.

To create a bonding moment, it’s not necessary a long period of time. For having a important moment, you should have responsiveness: understanding, validating and caring. The engagement of parents in a certain school began when they had personal home visits of 1 hour before the school period started. They made questions on the participation of parents on the kids school life (understanding), making they see the truth asking what they wanted for their kids (caring) and how many time they were spending to achieve that (bringing the truth). After this experiment , the parents attendance to annual meetings boomed.

Brilliant!

Wow, I have had some great breakthroughs and Insights. And enjoyable, energizing and thought provoking listen.

touchy stories for service business

This book has disappointed me a bit as I was expecting more enlightening discussions. Some sections of the book are interesting but often it does not impress. Many of the points raised in the book are also common sense. There are a few original points only. It involves a lot of touchy stories. The authors are good at telling some meaningful stories but that is all...

Powerful book

Loved it. Really positive book that makes you stop and think about the briefest of interactions we have with people and what they can mean to us and them.

Brilliant

I have become a big fan of all of chip and Dan heath's books. This is another great book I learnt so much from

Good but not origional ideas

I enjoyed this book, but found little original in the ideas but the conclusions are a nice way to organise your approach to training

We feel more alive when life is not certain

Chip Heath (professor of Organizational Behavior) and his brother Dan Heath have written this shortish but clever book which describes how short moments in time can have a long lasting impact of people and their lives. Moments are, apparently, what makes life meaningful and this book describes ways in which surprise techniques can be used to influence behaviour, for example the John Deere company has developed a "first day" experience for its new hires that is designed to make a positive first impression. We can achieve our goals by splitting them down into milestones and turning it into a game by introducing playfulness. We all feel alive when life is not totally certain and, whilst I found that there was nothing groundbreaking in this book, it was an entertaining read which I enjoyed.

One of the best Books I've read this year

I will certainly have to re-listen and update this review but for now it's enough to say this book is immensely valuable to anyone looking to understand and harness the power of powerful moments.

A must buy.

We can all take something away from this book

You will look at moments differently after listening to this. That is a good thing

Can be appllied today

I really have trouble writing the slightest review without mentioning cliches such as creating a fuller life understanding the world relationship in a better way now. So I’m just going to say that this book is excellent and inspiring positive change, in a practical way, with steps, and at the end of every chapter summaries that help material sink in. Good work!

Inspiring

This book gave me the inspiration to make positive decisions in my business. They may be small in comparison to big companies but they will make a difference to our staff team and the children and families with disabilities who we support.

insightful

I loved the stories weaved...and the importance of peak moments in everyday living. hugely inspirational..thank you😀.