The Domino Effect
Domino is a word that conveys a sense of authority and dominance. Its Latin roots also give it a sense of luck. This is why many companies, organizations, and products use the word to impart a sense of success or proficiency. Dominos themselves are no exception – their eponymous pizza chain has built a successful business model by paying close attention to the needs of its customers and catering to those needs.
When dominoes are set up in a line and then flicked just so, all the pieces fall in a beautiful cascade of rhythmic motion. This is known as the domino effect, and it’s a great metaphor for how certain actions can trigger a series of events that lead to disaster, redemption, or at the very least change.
In a domino show, an expert builder sets up hundreds or even thousands of dominoes in a straight or curved line. Then, they nudge the first domino just past its tipping point. When this happens, the potential energy stored in the piece becomes released. The next domino then moves to the right spot and pushes down on its neighbor. As it does, the others in the line follow suit. This is why it takes such skill to construct a domino structure that can resist the forces of gravity and stand for hours (even days) until finally knocked over by a single nudge.
The Domino’s chain of pizza restaurants has also found success by using the domino effect in its business operations. One of their core values is “Champion Our Customers,” and they make it a priority to listen to what their customers are telling them about how the company can improve. This line of communication extends to the customer base itself – Domino’s employees often go out of their way to help their fellow pizza lovers.
While Domino’s is a chain, they make sure to keep the feel of a local business by employing thousands of people in the cities they operate in. They also work to create a positive working environment by listening to the opinions of their staff and addressing complaints directly. This is an important part of the Domino’s brand and it has helped them remain competitive in the fast-food industry.
While domino is most commonly used to describe a line of rectangular tiles that fall when a player hits one, the name can also be applied to any event or action that has the effect of pushing or nudging another in a chain reaction. For example, if you send an email to your boss complaining about a project, it can have the effect of pushing the entire team in a different direction. It is this type of domino effect that can bring about real and dramatic changes in your organization or family. This is why it’s so important to communicate clearly and listen to the concerns of everyone in your group, even if they seem like they are not worth the effort.