The Power of Moments: Why Certain Moments Have Extraordinary Impact

by Chip Heath

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

Guthrie doesn’t share his findings from his customer meetings; he creates a situation where they can replicate his discovery. It becomes their own insight, and as a result, they’re motivated to act.

One couple we know kept an anniversary journal for the first decade of their marriage. Every year they would record the things they accomplished: Redecorating the back bedroom, hosting extended family for Thanksgiving dinner, and so on. They’d also record the trips they took, and the friends they saw most frequently, and, amazingly, what they fought about!

But having the record was useful because it provided concrete evidence of the progress they had made in their relationship. In the first year of marriage, they fought about almost anything. (One actual example: Which spices can stay on the kitchen table?) Over the next three years, the arguments steadily dwindled, and by the fifth year, they could recall only minor bickering. Not even an honest-to-goodness fight. And they laughed at the memory of fighting over spices.

Large organizations often speak in terms of “competencies.” That is, to do a particular job well, you need to develop a set of specific competencies in areas such as vision setting or business acumen or data analysis. (Yes, they tend to sound exactly that boring.) But rather than giving vague instructions to employees on how to build their “business acumen,” they could be presented instead with a set of meaningful milestones to accomplish (again, not necessarily sequential): • Turn around a product/service line that is struggling • Have a direct report promoted to a managerial role • Solve a business challenge by collaborating with another function or group • Receive a compliment that you run meetings that are actually worthwhile • Deliver a major project on time and on budget • Contribute an idea that is adopted company-wide