The Peak-End Rule
People don't remember experiences as averages. They remember the peak moment and how it ended. This changes everything about how you design employee experiences.
Daniel Kahneman's research revealed something counterintuitive: people don't evaluate experiences based on the sum total of moments. They judge based on two points: the most intense moment (peak) and the final moment (end).
In one famous study, patients undergoing colonoscopies reported less overall pain when doctors extended the procedure with a less painful final minute, even though it meant more total discomfort. The better ending overwrote the memory.
The workplace application is immediate. That onboarding program? The last day matters more than the first week combined. The quarterly review? How you close the conversation shapes whether it felt productive or punishing. The offboarding process? A bitter exit taints years of good memories.
The nudge: Audit your key employee experiences for their endings. How does onboarding conclude? How do you close difficult feedback conversations? How do departing employees spend their final day? Invest disproportionately in endings. That's where memory lives.
