The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact
Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Simon & Schuster (October 2017)

How to mark transitions, commemorate milestones, and fill pits…also, WHY

In my opinion, this is the most important of the five works that Chip Heath and Dan Heath have co-authored thus far. It is a “must read” and certain to become a “classic” because it will have much wider and much deeper transformative impact on more people than any of the others could possibly have.

As I began to read this book, I was reminded of another. In Touch Points: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments, Douglas Conant and Mette Norgaard have much of substantial value to say about “being present in the moment and feeling confident that you can deal with whatever happens in a way that is helpful to others.” Think about it. How many times, on average, during your waking hours do you interact with other people? Each interaction is a “TouchPoint,” one that offers an opportunity to make such contact mutually beneficial. ToughPoints can also involve sources of inspiration, knowledge, and cultural enrichment. To those who aspire to leadership, especially to nourish and strengthen their relationships, Conant and Norgaard offer an abundance of information, insights, and counsel that can help them to accelerate their development as leaders with a model that is most appropriate for them.

The Heaths take this concept to a much higher level, in The Power of Moments. They view memorable and meaningful human interactions as precious opportunities to mark transitions, commemorate milestones, and fill pits. As they explain, “In this book, we have two goals: First, we want to examine defining moments and identify traits they have in common. What, specifically, makes a particular experience memorable and meaningful? Our research shows that defining share a set of common elements. “Some moments are vastly more meaningful than others…There may be a dozen moments in your life that capture [and thereby reveal] who you are. — those are big defining moments.”

“Second, we want to show you how you can create defining moments by making use of those elements. Why would you want to create them? To enrich your life. To connect with others. To make memories. To improve the experience of customers or patients or employees” and, I presume to add, of family members and friends.

The aforementioned four elements are Elevation moments transcend the normal course of events, moments that really are extraordinary); Insight moments that rewire our understanding of ourselves and/or our world; Pride moments celebrate achievement, moments of courage); and Connection moments are social in nature, shared with others on a special occasion or at an event of some kind. Many powerful defining moments contain all four elements. The Heaths provide more than a dozen examples.

The Heaths make brilliant use of real-world examples, anchored in human experience, to illustrate their key points. I also commend them for their use of six “Clinics” or mini-case studies such as “Missed Moments of Retail Banking” (Pages 37-39) and “Boss Has Flash of Insight: I’m a Jerk” (196-199). Readers will also greatly appreciate the four “Whirlwind Reviews” that consist of key takeaways from their examination of Moments of Elevation (87-88), Insight (132-133), Pride (194-195), and Connection (247-248). These devices will help to facilitate, indeed expedite frequent review of key material later.

The Heaths invite their reader to check out a wealth of additional resources at the book’s dedicated website (identified on Page 267). I urge their reader to check out, also, their previously published works: Decisive (2013), Myth of the Garage (2011), Switch (2010), and Made to Stick (2007). I envy anyone who has not as yet all of them.

While reading and then re-reading this book prior to beginning work on this brief commentary, I reflected back on the most memorable and most meaningful moments in my own life. Recalling some of them warmed my heart, others evoked images of those with whom I shared special moments, and still others made me wince with regret and shame. Each life really is a journey and perhaps the value of each is best measured by the number and quality of those moments that have the greatest impact. For me, the unique value of this book is that Chip Heath and Dan Heath prepare their reader to embrace as many of those moments as possible during the time that remains. For that, I shall be deeply grateful.