What's behind the extraordinary experiences that stay with us? Are they as random as we're led to believe or is there a pattern to them that, if we understood it, would allow us to create them ourselves?

In his research, Dan Heath, co-author of the book, The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact, uncovers four key elements that characterize these kinds of moments. And he explains how we can create them not only for ourselves, but for our family, our friends, and the people in our organizations.


Dan is a Senior Fellow at the CASE Center at Duke University and co-author of the bestselling books, Made to Stick, Switch, and Decisive. In this interview we discuss:

The important role that elevation, insight, pride, and connection play in defining moments
How we can tap into defining moments to celebrate and inspire employees at work
Ways to spot opportunities, like important work and life transitions, to design defining moments
How our brains hold onto the peaks and endings of defining moments
The fact that great experiences are mostly forgettable and occasionally remarkable
What it looks like when we break the script to create unforgettable moments
Why we need to beware of the soul-sucking force of reasonableness to create defining moments
How defaulting to ease and efficiency can turn peak moments into speed bumps
How social moments of shared meaning and responsiveness build connection
The key roles that understanding, validation, and caring play in connecting with others
Why we build deeper connections more quickly when we work together on something bigger than ourselves
How creating the right mission and conditions can get people to take on difficult challenges
The fact that purpose has a greater impact on our performance than passion
Why purpose is central in making us more effective in our roles
How we can learn to cultivate purpose
How just one hour visiting student families in their homes completely changed the culture of a low-performing elementary school
Why 36 simple questions can help us deepen our relationships in less than an hour
When people experience crystallizing experiences that cause them to rethink their work and their lives

Links to Topics Mentioned in this Podcast

http://heathbrothers.com/

https://centers.fuqua.duke.edu/case/team_profiles/dan-heath/

John Deere and CEO Sam Allen

Magic Castle Hotel

Images of Joshee on vacation

Simply Brilliant by Bill Taylor

Harry Reis

Sharp HealthCare

Morten Hansen

Flamboyan Foundation

Carlie John Fisherow

Arthur Aron and his 36 questions

Post-traumatic growth

Option B by Adam Grant and Sheryl Sandberg

SuperBetter by Jane McGonigal

Roy Baumeister and the crystallization of discontent

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Thank you to Emmy-award-winning Creative Director Vanida Vae for designing the Curious Minds logo, and thank you to Rob Mancabelli for all of his production expertise!

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