What if you could design a moment that would create a lifelong customer? Or what if you could make your partner’s next birthday a day they will remember forever, rather than just let another year roll by? Chip and Dan Heath’s book, The Power of Moments, lays out a thoughtful guide to creating and embracing important experiences.
Since we run a variety of action-based leadership programs at the Sanger Leadership Center, our team was excited to read this book for our latest book club. A few of our key takeaways and ideas are below.
· What’s our popsicle hotline? At the start of the book, the authors tell the story of an LA hotel that is rather average… except for one experience. Guests can pick up a phone at the poolside and be connected to the “popsicle hotline.” Within moments of the call, a staff member emerges with complimentary popsicles on a silver tray. This unexpected moment defined the guest experience at the hotel and made it wildly popular in online reviews.
Our staff was fascinated by this story and talked about how we might be able to integrate more unexpected delights in our student experiences. More to come!
· Let’s keep breaking the script. Disrupting the usual way things are done can automatically create memorable moments. Meeting in the same conference room with the same agenda and be mind-numbing. The book suggests overhauling the “usual” procedure—whether it be at home or in the office—can produce creativity and connection.
Our team realized that the times we’ve “broken the script” have indeed been memorable. In 2018, we had our kickoff meeting for the Full-Time MBA Business + Impact Challenge at Wilma’s in Ann Arbor, a local spot we all wanted to try. The relaxed and creative vibe led to a high amount of team synergy and brainstorming, and it’s a meeting we still talk about fondly.
· Which milestones should we be embracing? Companies often miss out on opportunities to connect with their customers by ignoring what is going on in their lives, or perhaps not caring enough. For example, the authors posit that a bank could create a connection by congratulating new homeowners or sending them a gift instead of just their first mortgage statement.
The Sanger team considered the student experience at Ross and considered what time periods students might benefit from a note or acknowledgment from our center.
The team will be finishing up the second half of the book over the holiday break, and we’ll post our final thoughts on the book in the new year!
The Power of Moments by Chip Heath and Dan Heath