The Power of Moments: Why Certain Moments Have Extraordinary Impact

by Chip Heath

What’s indisputable is that when we assess our experiences, we don’t average our minute-by-minute sensations. Rather, we tend to remember flagship moments: the peaks, the pits, and the transitions.

defining moment is a short experience that is both memorable and meaningful.

we have found that defining moments are created from one or more of the following four elements:

ELEVATION: Defining moments rise above the everyday.

construct elevated moments, we must boost sensory pleasures—the

INSIGHT: Defining moments rewire our understanding of ourselves or the world. In a few seconds or minutes, we realize something that might influence our lives for decades:

PRIDE: Defining moments capture us at our best—moments of achievement, moments of courage.

CONNECTION: Defining moments are social:

Defining moments possess at least one of the four elements above, but they need not have all four.

If you’re struggling to make a transition, create a defining moment that draws a dividing line between Old You and New You.

pits can sometimes be flipped into peaks.

Every great service company is a master of service recovery.

If you Elevate the Positives (Plan B), you’ll earn about 9 times more revenue than if you Eliminate the Negatives (Plan A). (8.8 times, to be precise.) Yet most executives are pursuing Plan A.

To be clear, we’re not recommending that leaders abandon their efforts to fix big problems. Rather, they should reallocate their attention. There’s nine times more to gain by elevating positive customers than by eliminating negative ones.