Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact

Top positive review

” (or what the Heaths call a “moment’) 94% unconditionally recommend the hotel

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2017

In everyone’s life, there are moments that have enormous impact.
The moment when you look at your manager doing the same work as you, only with larger numbers, and you realize that you will be her if you stay in this job for the next ten years. And so, you make plans to leave. That moment when you find your calling because of something someone says spontaneously, as they catch you doing something exceptional.
In very accessible book, the brothers, Chip and Dan Heath examine defining moments, identify the traits they have in common, and what makes a particular experience memorable and meaningful.
They demonstrate how defining moments share a set of common elements. More importantly, they demonstrate how you can create defining moments by using those elements.
Why would you want to create them? “Our lives are measured in moments, and defining moments are the ones that endure in our memories,” they explain.
Their insights are critical lesson for anyone in a service business (as we all are), in management, and in our personal lives.
A study of hotels reviewed on TripAdvisor shows that when guests say they experienced a “delightful surprise,” (or what the Heaths call a “moment’) 94% unconditionally recommend the hotel, but only 60% of guests who were “very satisfied,” will do the same.
Can you remember your first day at your current company? Most likely it was not a defining moment.
The receptionist didn’t think you were starting until next week. She shows you to desk with the previous incumbent’s remnants. Your boss has not arrived yet. Eventually, a friendly person from your floor introduces herself and then interrupts 11 people by introducing you to them. You have managed to annoy all your colleagues within the first hour. You immediately forget all their names.
Compare that to joining John Deere office in Asia.
Soon after you accept employment there, you get an email from a “John Deere Friend.” She introduces herself and shares some of the basics: where to park, what the dress norms are, and tells you that she’ll be waiting to greet you at 8:00 on your first day.
The flat-screen monitor in reception has a headline: “Welcome, Sam!” Your John Deer Friend shows you to your desk where there is a tall banner that alerts people that you are new. People stop by during the day and introduce themselves. The background image on your monitor is a gorgeous shot of John Deere equipment on a farm at sunset, with the caption: “Welcome to the most important work you’ll ever do.”
The first email you receive is from the CEO of John Deere with a short video, in which he talks about the company’s mission, and closes by saying, “Enjoy the rest of your first day, and I hope you’ll enjoy a long, successful, fulfilling career as part of the John Deere team.”
There’s a gift on your desk - a replica of John Deere’s 1837 plow, and a card explaining why farmers loved it. Your Friend fetches you for lunch with a small group who ask about your background and tell you about projects they’re working on. Later, your manager comes over and makes plans to have coffee with you next week.
You leave the office that day thinking, I belong here; the work we’re doing matters. And I matter to them. This is a defining moment, a relatively short experience that is both memorable and meaningful.
So, how are defining moments created? The Heath’s have identified four elements.
Moments are created by “Elevation” – going beyond the normal course of events to create the extraordinary. A bouquet of flowers from your bank, celebrating the opening the opening the bond so that you can acquire your new home and thanking you for choosing them.
Defining moments can also rewire our understanding of ourselves or the world through an “Insight”. In seconds or minutes, we realize something that might influence our lives for decades: Now is the time for me to start my own business, or this is the person I’m going to marry. It can also be a “crystallization of discontent,” when you suddenly see an awful truth about a situation or person that you have ignored.
When we attain important milestones, we experience moments of “Pride”. These are defining moments because they catch us at our best, in moments of achievement, showing courage, earning recognition, or conquering challenges.
Moments of “Pride” usually involve having our skill noticed by others. Much research show that while 80% of managers claim they frequently express appreciation, less than 20% of employees report they do. Surveys find the top reason people leave their jobs is a lack of praise and recognition and the absence of ‘Pride’.
The corporate response has generally been to create recognition programs, like ‘Employee of the Month’ awards or annual banquets recognizing star performers. These programs are inadequate - one employee per month! How about recognition weekly or even daily? And the formality of corporate programs often breeds cynicism.
The last element of moments that are defining is that they are social moments of “Connection”. Weddings, graduations, baptisms, work triumphs - are strengthened because we share them with others.
“If you want to be part of a group that bonds like cement, take on a really demanding task that’s deeply meaningful. All of you will remember it for the rest of your lives.”
People don’t connect as deeply around ‘passion’ as they do around ‘purpose’. Passion is the feeling of excitement or enthusiasm that you have for your work or interest. ‘Purpose’ is the sense that you are contributing to others, and that your work has broader meaning.
Passion is individualistic, and while it can energize, it also isolates, because my passion isn’t yours. By contrast, purpose is something people can share. It can knit groups together.
In a study of 32 paid lifeguards, one group read four stories describing how other lifeguards had benefited from the skills they acquired on the job. The second group read four stories about other lifeguards rescuing drowning swimmers. The difference between the two groups was striking.
The group that read about the meaning their work had for others voluntarily signed up for 43% more hours of work in the weeks following the intervention, and their helping behaviour increased by 21%. There was no increase in helping behaviour or hours worked by those who read about the personal benefits of the job.
These differences in behaviour were produced by nothing more dramatic than a 30-minute of reading and talking about what they read. Such is the power of moments of ‘Connection.’
Some powerful defining moments contain all four elements, and using all adds even more impact.
Three situations deserve punctuation. Some are “transitions” such as a new job, or retirement. “Milestones” such as promotion or graduation, and “pits” such as divorce or the death of a loved one.
We will benefit greatly by being alert to these opportunities and the huge value they can hold if done well. A good place to start is to read this book.
Readability Light --+-- Serious
Insights High +---- Low
Practical High +---- Low

*Ian Mann of Gateways consults internationally on leadership and strategy, and is the author of the recently released ‘Executive Update.

64 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Gary Moreau, Author

Good, but did not spark a defining moment for me

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2017

It is self-evident to say that not all books are created equal. That is the intuitive thesis behind the value of peer reviews, which I strongly support. The counter-intuitive conclusion, however, is that not all books are written with the same objectives in mind. I also believe, therefore, that reviews should be written and evaluated in context.

This is a book written by two brilliant brothers (Both are affiliated with prestigious business schools.) who have already demonstrated great success by any measure in the fields of teaching, consulting, and writing. It is no surprise, therefore, that this book is good.

Based on the price and the pre-launch publicity, however, this book is clearly seeking transformative status. It is competing among the best business books of the year. And that is the standard by which I have chosen my overall rating. If you are just looking for a good book by a reputable and successful author(s), this book will probably fit the bill.

Here’s my reasoning:

The book applies a formula that has become universal in the world of modern business management and the consulting that drives it: Every problem/opportunity can be solved/leveraged by analyzing the data, discerning the patterns, and applying them to future or potential data sets. It’s not a bad framework, per se, but I don’t personally feel it applies equally in all situations. Some problems/opportunities just don’t lend themselves to such a conscious and rational process. Defining moments, I believe, is one of them.

Secondly, the authors note early on, “Our lives are measured in moments, and defining moments are the ones that endure in our memories.” If you accept that premise then this is the book for you.

Personally, I do not. At least not the first part. I believe our lives are measured in the quality of our relationships, including the connection we establish to the world around us. (To be fair, connection is part of their formula, but its purpose is to create more defining moments, which is not how I use the term here.)

Which raises two questions that are foundational to the book: 1. Can you create defining moments? and 2. Do they really matter? The premise of the book is a resounding “yes” to both.

While I believe, after reading the book, that you can create an enhanced opportunity for defining moments, I’m not convinced it’s the best or safest investment of time and resources. After all, both time and resources are limited in every organization (and every life). If you spend the same amount of time and effort building trust in your organization, would the ROI be better? I think so, and that is not to say that you can’t build trust through defining moments. It’s a matter of emphasis and line of approach.

I also question whether the WOW factor of defining moments is truly transformative. The moment is memorable, but is it the moment or the thing it represents—recognition, connection, trust—that is transformative? And, again, the process the author’s define, which I won’t reference specifically here because they deserve the opportunity to lay it out in their own context, is built around some of these fundamentals. My point, again, is one of emphasis and the hierarchy of relative importance.

Some of the advice will sound familiar. On recognition, for example, the authors note, “One survey found that the top reason people leave their jobs is a lack of praise and recognition.” It’s a valid point, although in my own experience people typically leave because of other people (i.e. managers or leaders). It is true, however, that, “While recognition is a universal expectation, it’s not a universal practice.” And it’s certainly true that creative and spontaneous recognition is more valuable than most corporate recognition programs.

I also agree that, “Purpose trumps passion,” and that, “…purpose isn’t discovered, it’s cultivated.” And, “You can’t deliver a great patient experiences without first delivering a great employee experience.” All sound advice.

In the end, therefore, I’m glad I read the book. I personally found the value (the ROI of time and money spent) of the book to be so-so. (Admittedly, prices are set by the publisher, not the authors.) It doesn’t, in my mind, hit the mark of transformative.

But you should decide for yourself. This, after all, is a personal review.

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From the United States

” (or what the Heaths call a “moment’) 94% unconditionally recommend the hotel

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2017

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64 people found this helpful

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“Beware the Soul-Sucking Force of Reasonableness”

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2017

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If you happen to be buying gifts for family and co-workers today, I can make it easy for you. Buy a dozen copies of “The Power of Moments.”

Here’s the big idea: “A defining moment is a short experience that is both memorable and meaningful.” And…oh, my—are we in short supply of significant moments in our boring staff meetings, workplaces, churches, schools, and homes. You can change that!

Buy this book for:

YOUR STAFF. Here’s an idea: bring popsicles to your next staff meeting and play the audio from the first chapter, “Defining Moments,” and ask the team why the Magic Castle Hotel in Los Angeles does this:

“Let’s start with a cherry-red phone mounted to a wall near the pool. You pick it up and someone answers, ‘Hello, Popsicle Hotline.’ You place an order, and minutes later, a staffer wearing white gloves delivers your cherry, orange, or grape Popsicles to you at poolside. On a silver tray. For free.”

What will your staff learn? “What the Magic Castle has figured out is that, to please customers, you need not obsess over every detail. Customers will forgive small swimming pools and underwhelming room décor, as long as some moments are magical. The surprise about great service experiences is that they are mostly forgettable and occasionally remarkable.” (p. 9)

YOUR FAVORITE CHARITIES. If I could wave a magic wand, I’d ask every relief and development organization leader to read Chapter 5, “Trip Over the Truth,” about a methodology called Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS).

The authors begin with a warning to readers: “The story ahead is full of disgusting images, and it also makes frequent use of the ‘s-word” for feces.” The researcher in this Bangladesh brilliant/brilliant epiphany “believes that it’s a mistake to soft-pedal the word using medical terms…or more kid-friendly terms. When he works in new countries, he makes sure to ask for the crude slang… He wants the word to shock.”

The researcher’s ingenious approach to dramatically improved community health is the polar opposite of the way leaders, teachers, and preachers seek change. Instead of pulpits, podiums, and lecterns, Dr. Kamal Kar used observation, probing (shocking) questions, and demonstrations. Brilliant! (p. 97)

YOUR TEACHERS. In the chapter “Stretch for Insight,” the authors describe a study of 44 seventh-graders who wrote essays about a personal hero. Teachers marked up the essays and Group 1 students received generic feedback. Group 2 students received personalized “wise criticism.” Both groups could resubmit their essays in hopes of higher grades. You guessed it: almost 80 percent of Group 2 students resubmitted compared to about 40 percent of the first group. (p. 122)

YOUR PASTOR. Whew. How do pastors inspire a congregation—weekend after weekend, 52 weeks a year? (Few do.) But creative teams can create extraordinary experiences along the way—by defying “the forgettable flatness of everyday work and life by creating a few precious moments.” (p. 265)

And speaking of teaching, don’t skip the insights about a weeklong program, the Course Design Institute (CDI). “The dirty secret of higher education [and maybe seminaries] is that the faculty aren’t taught how to teach,” says Michael Palmer, a chemistry prof at the University of Virginia. So Palmer invites groups of 25 to 30 profs, per course, to meet the ugly truth in the mirror.

It begins with an interactive fill-in-the-blanks exercise, where each prof completes one sentence: an aspirational objective for students that will be realized three to five years later. Then each prof compares that aspiration with his or her course syllabus. Palmer asks, “How much of your current syllabus will advance your students toward the dreams you have for them?”

You guessed it! Chip Heath and Dan Heath describe one prof’s head-slapper moment, after an awkward silence: “You look at your syllabus, and you go, ‘Zero.’” (p. 106)

The book includes a link to a complete syllabus with “before” and “after” examples—showing how a professor changed the content, as a result of the weeklong course.

You should also buy this book for:

PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS. The dinner table question from Spanx founder Sara Blakely’s dad: “What did you guys fail at this week?” (p. 130)

HR TEAM. On creating extraordinary moments on a team member’s first day on the job: “Imagine if you treated a first date like a new employee.” (p. 18)

MARKETING STAFF. “One simple diagnostic to gauge whether you’ve transcended the ordinary is if people feel the need to pull out their cameras. If they take pictures, it must be a special occasion.” (p. 63)

FUNDRAISERS AND OTHERS. On the topic of unheralded achievements in the chapter, “Thinking in Moments,” the authors ask: “We celebrate employees’ tenure with organizations, but what about their accomplishments? Isn’t a salesman’s 10 millionth dollar of revenue earned worth commemorating? Or what about a talented manager who has had 10 direct reports promoted?” (p. 36)

And I’d add: And what about celebrating a single mom’s faithful $10-a-month donor gifts when her total giving reaches the $500 or $1,000 milestone? That’s a moment to celebrate! Plus, don’t miss the creative way one organization sends personalized thank you notes to donors. (p. 151)

BOARD MEMBERS. Recently, I played the book’s audio of “Clinic 1: The Missed Moments of Retail Banking” to my fellow board members at Christian Community Credit Union. The question, “Could banks learn to ‘think in moments’?” Convicting—but very, very applicable to all organizations.

I could go on—but you get my drift. This book changed—changed!—my thinking in so many ways. You’ll appreciate the powerful and poignant stories. Example: how a priest gathered a widow’s friends together (five years after her husband had died) for a therapeutic wedding vows ceremony—but in the past tense. “Were you faithful?” The result: she was finally ready to date again.

You’ll underline the “whirlwind reviews” for each of the four major sections (Elevation, Insight, Pride, and Connection). You’ll be delighted by the bonus resources, like the “clinics,” the free app referenced, “36 Questions,” and why one company empowers employees to give away a certain number of free drinks and food items every week! (p. 73)

The “Clinic 2” (p. 89) is a must-read about church boards. The question: “How do you refresh a meeting that’s grown rote?” One approach: “Break the script.”

And finally, Chip Heath and Dan Heath warn: “Beware the soul-sucking force of reasonableness.” Example: “Couldn’t we just put the Popsicles in a cooler by the ice machine?” (LOL!)

171 people found this helpful

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Jonathan Peyton

Loved this book!

Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2019

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Wow! There is something in here for everyone. Business, education, government, personal - quality content, thought provoking solutions. BUILD PEAK MOMENTS. "We all have a superpower we are not using" - so simple! Highly recommend.

Updated 9/12/2019

I highly recommend this book. It’s presently at the top of my list for 2019 reading. Chip & Dan Heath take you through some very basic concepts that are easily implemented. The stories they share are relatable and real. I’ve listened to a number of interviews with Dan Heath where he shares some of the same information and two recurring themes I find incredibly powerful are:

1 – Creating moments is like a superpower we all have that we are not using right now
2 – Beware the soul-sucking force of reasonableness

The Magic Castle Hotel story is incredibly thought provoking. This place has reviews through the roof and has won numerous prestigious awards. It’s an old 1950s apartment complex and there is nothing amazing about the physical plant. The experiences however, are AMAZING. Magicians walking around, FREE snacks (and not airline size – think full sized supermarket bags), a phone by the pool where kids can call and get popsicles delivered to them by a white-gloved server on a silver platter, and much more.

After you are fully amazed by the experiences at The Magic Castle Hotel – the Heath brothers get you thinking about typical discussions around the conference room that go like this: (this is all in the book – these are my words & memories from reading – a few of the scenarios I thrown in my own “voice of reason” scenarios – the Ideas are realities at The Magic Castle Hotel)

Idea: “Hey we could have magicians walking around performing magic tricks for the kids”

Voice of Reason: “Yeah that would be nice, but what if guest attendance was low and there weren’t any kids around – we’d be paying them to do nothing. What if one of these magicians upset a kid? Anyway, kids don’t like magicians any more – they want to see videos – we could save money by having a TV screen in the lobby that we call the ‘Magic TV’ and put some magic videos on it.”

Idea: “Hey we could put a red phone outside by the pool and whenever someone picked it up a person would answer and take their order for a popsicle and then we could have someone in a butler suit with white gloves come deliver it to them poolside on a silver platter.”

Voice of Reason: “Great idea, but how would we staff that? What if we were busy and nobody answered the phone and a kid was upset? Aren’t popsicles choking hazards? Butler suits are cool, but then we are asking our employees to do something different and keep up with a whole new uniform standard. How about we just put a cooler out by the pool with a sign above it that says “FREE Popsicles.”

Idea: “Hey we could have a snack list for kids and whatever they wanted at anytime they could get for FREE, and it wouldn’t just be a small snack – it would be a legit sized bag of whatever they wanted.”

Voice of Reason: “I like that idea, but think how much money we could save if we did smaller portions – also that would be healthier for the kids. Actually now that we’re thinking about it, should we be giving away free food? – what about liabilities? What if a child ate something and had an allergic reaction? What if the snack they wanted wasn’t on the list and they got upset.”

It’s comical when you look at these powerful moments from the reverse point of view. We’ve all been in meetings where someone is hell-bent on defending the status-quo; or comes up with multiple alibis for failure. STOP THE INSANITY! The biggest brands, the truly trademark companies, the ones making the $$, getting the reviews, the ones that have the raving fans – they have crossed over the reasonableness boundary and are thinking outside the box, breaking the script, and making the ordinary extraordinary.

Thank you Chip & Dan Heath!

4 people found this helpful

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Jill

This book is very relatable

Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2023

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I really relaed to this book as I thought back on moments of my life that have made a huge impact. As a reflect on these things, I hope to make an impact on other people's lives.

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William Long

Leadership Training

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2023

Verified Purchase

A must read! Great for book clubs.

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Gary Moreau, Author

Good, but did not spark a defining moment for me

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2017

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101 people found this helpful

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Donald Morton

Great book!

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2023

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If you provide a service this book is for you! I learned how to enhance my work with my clients. It’s like you get some secret information! Ha ha. Great book with great insights.

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Pacifica

Really useful

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2023

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I took many notes and highlighted a lot. One of the good non fiction I read this year. I appreciate the practical tips to follow.

One person found this helpful

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J. Thunderbolt

Great book! Does not come with a jar of lightning.

Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2018

Verified Purchase

I don't typically read non-fiction (biographies and history books are rarely as interesting as dragons!) so I feel that the five-star rating for this book fails to convey the positive feelings I have. The authors provide an excellent, fun, and thought-provoking book written with enough snarky comments (generally in footnotes) to create some chuckles. But the highlight of the book is its broad applications which are relevant to everyone.

The advice given can be applied if you're a boss, a parent, a friend, a counselor, a hotel manager, or just a human who wishes to have happier memories. The four elements of the moments defined are simple, but that's what makes it such a splash of cold water. This is nothing novel - as the book explains, we have powerful moments all the time in our lives; however, we typically leave them to chance. What makes this book so great is that it explains the reasons why these moments have power and then it explains that we can ENGINEER them. We can manipulate factors to ensure moments are impactful. That's the true beauty of this book.

The only critique I have refers to one of the elements (Insight) gives a lot of great advice on how to inspire realizations, but requires the "Inspirer" to be in some leadership position, i.e. to make developers realize how crappy their phone app was, an executive scheduled a lunch and had them try to use the app the same as an average user. This is a wonderful idea, as are many of the other ideas offered, but they contain a central theme - none of them are representative of a peon or customer being able to inspire realization. How does a worker get his voice heard if he can't make his bosses "trip over the truth". It's a small complaint, but it snagged my attention nonetheless.

I have already recommended this book to friends, family, and coworkers alike. Unlike other "leadership-style" books, I can't foresee a negative effect if everyone tried to apply the information in this book. I surmise we'd just live in a kinder, more thoughtful world. And I'm ok with that.

3 people found this helpful

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Leah

I Read Every Word!

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2020

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“This is a book about the power of moments and the wisdom of shaping them” (pg 16). Chip Heath and Dan Heath in, “The Power of Moments,” set out to accomplish this task through two main goals. The first goal is to explain the traits that defining moments have in common and the second goal is to explain how those moments can be created. The author’s break these goals into four categories- Elevation, Insight, Pride, and Connection. Each category has two subcategories (i.e. under elevation- the importance of building peaks and breaking the script.)

The author’s establish the thesis through sharing tons of stories, reviewing the chapter in “The WhirlWind Review,” and providing additional brainstorming exercises through, “The Clinics.” For example, The Trial of Human Nature was a class project designed by two teachers to create a peak academic experience for their students. Jouriles, one of the teachers said, “In every graduation speech I’ve heard, the Trial has been mentioned. I’ve never heard prom mentioned.” (pg 50). In “The Whirlwind Review,” the first point is, “moments of elevation are experiences that rise above the routine” (pg 87). The Trial of Human Nature was one of those experiences.

Chip Heath and Dan Heath’s style is engaging and thought provoking. I found myself reading every single word in the book. The stories were interesting from beginning to end. They stick. They are memorable. The best part is that they can be applied to many different areas of our lives. I wrote notes and ideas down about both my role as a parent and my role as an administrative assistant. Moments are powerful and we each have the power to make and create them!

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