One of the CTLE summer book reads this year was The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip and Dan Heath. The book highlights the significance of memorable moments in transforming, motivating, and inspiring us.
In our book discussions, we reflected on the defining moments in our lives. Many of these moments embodied the concepts of elevation, insight, pride, and connection discussed in the book. Some moments were milestones and special events, while others were everyday instances that became extraordinary. For example, Roxan Alexander-Arntson shared how a conversation with a Dutch Bros employee changed her career path, leading her to teach full-time.
Throughout the book, the Heath brothers illustrate how defining moments impact people, from designing a “signing day” for high school seniors going to college to a hotel whose poolside popsicle hotline created lasting memories. Chip and Dan Heath said it well, “Our lives are measured in moments, and defining moments are the ones that endure in our memories.” As a group, we considered how to create such moments within our departments and for our students. What memories stand out when you think about your education or career? Were those experiences deliberately crafted or spontaneous?
Many GCC faculty and staff are experts at crafting experiences and cultivating defining moments. Angela Schwendiman developed the fantastic GCC garden, and she and Christine Jones have found ways to incorporate it into their classrooms. Brandon Cleworth offers an immersive virtual reality experience for his students, allowing them to visit Holocaust concentration camps and hear from survivors. Polly Laubach and Jenn Alton created a Gaucho Goofy Golf experience this summer, bringing colleagues together to bond and have fun. Lisa Moore collaborated with Rising Youth Theatre, enabling GCC students to perform and discuss mental health. Each of these individuals has worked to create meaningful moments that will be remembered long after the semester ends.
Chip and Dan Heath help us appreciate the importance of these moments for our learning and growth. “Moments are what we remember and what we cherish. Certainly we might celebrate achieving a goal, such as completing a marathon or landing a significant client—but the achievement is embedded in a moment. Every culture has its prescribed set of big moments: birthdays and weddings and graduations, of course, but also holiday celebrations and funeral rites and political traditions. They seem “natural” to us. But notice that every last one of them was invented, dreamed up by anonymous authors who wanted to give shape to time. This is what we mean by “thinking in moments”: to recognize where the prose of life needs punctuation.”
We challenge you to “think in moments” in your work. Consider how you can elevate the everyday experiences of your colleagues and students. How do we onboard new employees and faculty? How can we develop memorable and meaningful lessons? How do we celebrate employee and student milestones and achievements? By focusing on creating impactful moments, we can transform our classrooms and offices into environments filled with memorable experiences, deeper insights, and lasting connections.
Feel free to contact us to borrow a copy of The Power of Moments from the CTLE, and let us know about the moments you create!