Dominoes and the Domino Effect
Dominoes, a cousin of playing cards, are used for a number of games. Their markings (also called pips) are arranged to represent the results of throwing two six-sided dice or a single seven-sided die. A domino is normally twice as long as it is wide. Its value is indicated by the sum of its pips or by a line in the middle dividing it visually into two squares, each with the same number of pips, a domino with more pips being “heavier” than one with fewer pips.
Dominoes are often used to create patterns or lines, as in the case of a set of linked dominoes that form a shape such as a star or a pyramid. They can also be used to build structures such as houses or churches, or to model natural phenomena such as a hurricane or an earthquake. In the latter use, a model may be constructed on a large sheet of paper to show how a series of events or forces might impact a particular location or area.
When an individual domino falls over, it triggers a chain reaction that can be felt by others, sometimes even by people who did not personally experience the original event. The term domino also refers to the effect of a small action that can create waves in an otherwise calm sea. For example, Admiral William H. McRaven encouraged University of Texas graduates in 2014 to make their beds each morning, which he said was his first piece of advice because it has the potential to “dominate other parts of your life.” Jennifer Dukes Lee began making her bed and soon started to develop similar habits in other areas of her home.
The concept of the domino effect is often used in a political context. For example, in the 1977 Frost/Nixon interviews Richard Nixon defended the United States destabilization of the Salvador Allende regime in Chile on the grounds that it would create a “red sandwich” between Communist Cuba and communist Chile entrapping Latin America between them. More recently, President Barack Obama declared he was taking steps to prevent a domino effect in Iran in response to the country’s nuclear program.
As a business strategy, Domino’s has implemented the domino effect by listening to customers. The company is now a major pizza delivery franchise, and the Detroit Free Press calls it a “domino-effect corporate culture.” For example, when Brandon Doyle became CEO of Domino’s in 2010, he promoted one of the chain’s core values: Champion Our Customers. This meant paying close attention to the feedback Domino’s received and implementing changes quickly, from a loosening of the dress code to leadership training programs to a revamped college recruiting system. These changes, combined with a resurgence in the company’s stock price, have turned Domino’s into what is now the second-largest pizza franchise in the world. Its shares are currently at an all-time high. The chain has even begun experimenting with robots to deliver your pizza.
Dominoes, a cousin of playing cards, are used for a number of games. Their markings (also called pips) are arranged to represent the results of throwing two six-sided dice or a single seven-sided die. A domino is normally twice as long as it is wide. Its value is indicated by the sum of its pips or by a line in the middle dividing it visually into two squares, each with the same number of pips, a domino with more pips being “heavier” than one with fewer pips. Dominoes are often used to create patterns or lines, as in the case of a set of linked dominoes that form a shape such as a star or a pyramid. They can also be used to build structures such as houses or churches, or to model natural phenomena such as a hurricane or an earthquake. In the latter use, a model may be constructed on a large sheet of paper to show how a series of events or forces might impact a particular location or area. When an individual domino falls over, it triggers a chain reaction that can be felt by others, sometimes even by people who did not personally experience the original event. The term domino also refers to the effect of a small action that can create waves in an otherwise calm sea. For example, Admiral William H. McRaven encouraged University of Texas graduates in 2014 to make their beds each morning, which he said was his first piece of advice because it has the potential to “dominate other parts of your life.” Jennifer Dukes Lee began making her bed and soon started to develop similar habits in other areas of her home. The concept of the domino effect is often used in a political context. For example, in the 1977 Frost/Nixon interviews Richard Nixon defended the United States destabilization of the Salvador Allende regime in Chile on the grounds that it would create a “red sandwich” between Communist Cuba and communist Chile entrapping Latin America between them. More recently, President Barack Obama declared he was taking steps to prevent a domino effect in Iran in response to the country’s nuclear program. As a business strategy, Domino’s has implemented the domino effect by listening to customers. The company is now a major pizza delivery franchise, and the Detroit Free Press calls it a “domino-effect corporate culture.” For example, when Brandon Doyle became CEO of Domino’s in 2010, he promoted one of the chain’s core values: Champion Our Customers. This meant paying close attention to the feedback Domino’s received and implementing changes quickly, from a loosening of the dress code to leadership training programs to a revamped college recruiting system. These changes, combined with a resurgence in the company’s stock price, have turned Domino’s into what is now the second-largest pizza franchise in the world. Its shares are currently at an all-time high. The chain has even begun experimenting with robots to deliver your pizza.