{"id":56151,"date":"2021-12-27T08:25:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-27T12:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=56151"},"modified":"2021-12-27T13:28:10","modified_gmt":"2021-12-27T17:28:10","slug":"how-to-surprise-someone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-surprise-someone\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Surprise Someone in a Meaningful Way"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why do people like surprises? What is the key to creating a good surprise? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprises add a little spice to a usual, mundane routine and they don’t have to be limited to special occasions. According to Chip and Dan Heath, the authors of The Power of Moments<\/em>, there are two steps to creating a surprise: 1) identify scripts and routines, 2) think about how you can go off the usual routine in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is how to surprise someone in a meaningful way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to Create a Strategic Surprise<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Heaths say that there are two parts to creating a strategic surprise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Identify scripts, or patterns, in your life, such as how your team meetings are run or how you spend time<\/a> with your spouse after work. <\/li>
  2. Determine how you can go off these scripts in a meaningful way.   <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    For example, you examine your weekly HR meeting\u2019s script and decide to add a strategic<\/em> surprise: Assigning each of your team members a \u201cnew hire\u201d role and sending them out to interview their \u201cnew teams\u201d with questions about advice for new team members and maintaining work\/life balance. At the end of the hour, your team members meet up and discuss your new insights. By going off your regular meeting script, you\u2019ve elevated the experience and created a defining moment for your team members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Meaningfully going off-script doesn\u2019t mean completely upending the scripts of your life. Remember, memorable experiences are not wholly<\/em> amazing\u2014they\u2019re largely mundane, with one or two exceptional peaks. <\/strong>Your goal, then, is to deliberately punctuate overall familiar and comfortable scripts with one or two delightful surprises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There are usually two types of scripts that you\u2019ll deal with: 1) one-off experiences and 2) repetitive, everyday experiences. Here is how to surprise someone in both of these situations: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Script 1: One-Off Experiences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The Heaths say it\u2019s relatively easy to elevate experiences in places that people visit only occasionally\u2014a hotel, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Imagine a hotel near an airport that caters to people coming in and out of the city for meetings. It\u2019s not very interesting: The d\u00e9cor is bland, there aren\u2019t any nearby attractions, and there isn\u2019t even a pool. However, this one hotel consistently gets rave reviews from guests, because they leverage the power of delight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When you check in, the receptionist asks you what your favorite drink is. You go to your room and soon get a visit from a smartly-dressed staff member, there to deliver your chosen drink\u2014on the house. On top of the charming unexpectedness of the free drink, the moment certainly appeals to the senses: The staff member\u2019s clothing makes the moment feel a bit fancy, and nothing compares to the first sip of a cool drink after a long day of meetings. This small moment becomes the positive peak that stands out against your mundane business trip and the underwhelming hotel\u2014the moment that you remember as you write your review and tell others about your trip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In one-off scripts, your goal is to go against what someone <\/strong>expects<\/em><\/strong>. <\/strong>The hotel\u2019s free drink delivery stands out as a defining moment because it disrupts the client\u2019s expectation\u2014that the hotel staff will simply check them into their room with no special treatment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    (Shortform note: You can think of the one-off script like a fun fact that you use to make a good first impression when meeting someone new. It retains its delightful quality because they don\u2019t hear you say it every day\u2014you only use it once<\/em> for the one-off experience of meeting.)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Script 2: Repetitive, Everyday Experiences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In contrast, creating moments of delight is a little more difficult in places that people visit regularly, like a caf\u00e9. Even delightful surprises lose their charm if you experience them every day. <\/strong>In cases like this, it\u2019s critical to remember the \u201cstrategic\u201d part of the surprise: You want to go off-script, but be careful not to create a new script in the meantime.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n