Domino is a small, flat, rectangular block used as gaming object. It can be made of rigid material such as wood, bone, or plastic, and is variously referred to as bones, pieces, men, stones, or cards. Its main features are an arrangement of numbered spots, or pips, on one face, and blank or identically patterned surfaces on the other. Dominoes are commonly used to play positional games such as Bergen and Muggins, which involve blocking opponents’ plays or determining points by counting the number of pips in the winning players’ hands. There are also many duplicate card games that can be played with dominoes, such as Mexican train and concentration.
In the physics of dominoes, a key factor in starting a chain reaction is gravity. The fact that a domino is standing upright against the pull of gravity gives it potential energy, or stored energy based on its position. When it falls, much of this energy is converted to kinetic energy as it moves, propelling domino after domino in quick succession.
The same principle applies to events in real life. For example, a small victory right after you get out of bed can make the rest of your day go a lot better, putting you in a positive mood and empowering you to take on bigger challenges. These are often called domino actions, or high leverage actions that can trigger a series of other actions. The term comes from a Latin word for “to stick together,” suggesting that the impact of a single small action can lead to larger changes.
Domino’s founder and CEO, David Brandon, understood this concept and put it into practice when he took over the company in 2007. He knew that Domino’s employees mattered more than anything else in the business, so he went out of his way to listen to them. He instituted a relaxed dress code, started new leadership training programs, and developed an excellent college recruiting system to boost employee morale.
Another important part of his strategy was to reinvigorate the Domino’s brand, especially its pizza. He worked days, nights, and weekends to spice up the food and address customers’ complaints. He also took the bold step of appearing in Domino’s ads himself, accepting withering customer criticism, and promising to make things better.
Technology is also a vital component of Domino’s success, and half of the company’s workers work in software analytics. This has helped them to innovate new ways for people to order Domino’s pizza, including by texting an emoji or by using devices like Amazon Echo. Domino’s is also at the forefront of developing new methods for delivering pizza, such as autonomous vehicles and drones. They are even working on a domino that can deliver pizza to your doorstep in a few minutes. It could be a game changer!