What's your rocket launch moment?

I have been following the test flight of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy very closely, mostly because, well, who doesn't love rockets and space flight? What amazed me the most was the 10-minute period prior to the successful launch, in which thousands of SpaceX employees watched the final preparation and cheered raucously as critical launch milestones were successfully passed. The roar of the employee crowd as the 27-engine rocket lifted off from historic launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space center in Florida was deafening even in the live stream -- I would have loved to have actually been in the room to witness the internal reaction to this big success for Elon Musk's company.

And it got me to thinking: Certainly few companies are engaged in work as tangible and spectacular as launching rockets, but how can they nonetheless create these "rocket launch" moments where employees come together as a unified force at a critical moment in time for the company?

All too often, the good work that occurs within a company - especially global multinationals - is noted only in a region or division, if at all. News of a major accomplishment might be shared in a newsletter or intranet article, but is all too quickly lost in the daily shuffle. There's an opportunity for all CEOs to ask themselves "What's our rocket launch moment this year? A new product roll out? Entry into a new market? Major sales, profit or customer experience milestone? Significant anniversary? What moment in time are we going to create to bring everyone together to celebrate, focus/refocus, energize and align?" Note that the bringing together doesn't have to be in person, but could be a blend of in person, virtual and/or digital.

I'm interested in your thoughts -- have you ever experienced something like this at your own company?

Christopher Hannegan is a partner at Brunswick Group, specializing in employee engagement, culture and leadership.