How Dominos Are Used in Business and Life
Dominos are small oblong pieces of clay or wood, normally twice as long as they are wide. They feature an end marked with an arrangement of dots, or “pips,” similar to those on a die, except that some are blank (indicated in this listing by a zero). They may be used to play a number game in which players try to place a domino whose value is exactly equal to the value of a domino already laid down.
The most common set of dominoes, known as a double-six set, consists of 28 unique dominoes. Each domino has a distinctive number of spots on its ends, from six to zero. The pips are usually arranged in two squares, with the identity-bearing face divided by a line or ridge into an area for displaying values and a blank face. This arrangement gives each domino its rank, or “weight,” which is a factor in the difficulty of finding and placing a domino to match a domino already placed.
A person who can create elaborate domino displays is called a domino artist. Hevesh, who goes by the online name Hevesh5, is a prolific domino artist who has created stunning setups for movies, TV shows and events. Her YouTube channel has more than 2 million subscribers. Her biggest creations take several nail-biting minutes to fall into place.
In business, the domino effect is the close correlation between a single event or action and a chain of repercussions, such as a country’s collapse to communism having adverse effects on other countries. This type of causality is also referred to as path dependency.
Leadership is often compared to domino, with each leader having the potential to trigger a chain reaction of success or failure. However, leaders must also be able to recognize and respond to a domino effect as it develops.
Domino’s Pizza CEO Don Meij demonstrates this skill in the hit television series Undercover Boss, in which he goes undercover to see how Domino’s employees run the company. Meij’s observations result in a number of changes, including improved training for the company’s delivery drivers and an updated cool-looking delivery car.
Moreover, he puts new emphasis on the company’s “think local” strategy in which employees know their customers. He also introduces a new management structure that’s less bureaucratic and more participatory. In this way, he’s trying to ensure that all aspects of the Domino’s operation are working together. In the end, he is rewarded for his efforts with higher sales and better profits for the company. It is these positive results that have prompted many investors to back Domino’s plans for the future, even as it faces competition from fast-food chains such as McDonald’s and Starbucks. In order to maintain its competitive advantage, Domino’s must continue to innovate and keep up with the times. This includes keeping up with technological advancements and adjusting to the changing needs of its customer base. This can be achieved by developing and implementing leadership that has the right blend of qualities.