Domino is a game of skill and strategy where one small action can set off a chain reaction that results in an enormous domino effect. The term comes from the Latin word “dominium,” which means “lordship.” Throughout history, the name has carried the connotation of power and authority.
When we think of the domino effect, we most often picture a sequence of hundreds or even thousands of dominoes arranged in careful sequence and then toppled with a single nudge. But the domino effect can also be applied to other situations and ideas. For example, when Jennifer Dukes Lee began making her bed each day, it was a small domino that created a new habit that eventually led to other behaviors and a change in her self-image. This is what physicist Lorne Whitehead refers to as the Domino Effect.
The Domino Effect has a lot to do with momentum. When we push on the first domino, it has inertia and resists motion. But once it passes its tipping point, all that potential energy becomes available to push on the next domino. And once that happens, it’s almost impossible to stop the chain reaction.
In business, the Domino Effect can be seen in a variety of ways. In a chain restaurant, for instance, a small problem can quickly grow into a massive crisis that can impact many customers and employees. This is why it’s important for managers to take small steps and address problems before they become out of control.
One way to do this is to build in quality assurance measures into the company culture. For example, Domino’s president of USA Operations J. Patrick Doyle implemented a value called “Champion Our Customers.” This was an extremely bold and powerful idea. It was a clear message to all employees that the company would listen to their concerns and then take action. This was a major part of what turned around Domino’s reputation as a top workplace.
The domino game moved from Italy to France in the early 18th Century and became a fad. By this time, dominoes were already being used to create puzzles. These were based either on the pattern of the domino’s ends or the arithmetic properties of its pips. In the latter case, larger sets were being developed with higher numbers of spots on each end. These larger dominoes are known as extended dominoes. The most common extended dominoes have six spots on each end, although sets with seven, eight, and nine are also available.
By the late 19th Century, Dominoes were being made of a variety of materials. Some were natural, such as bone and silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), while others were synthetic. The most popular material was polymer. This was inexpensive and durable, but the polymer dominoes had less of a unique visual appeal than their natural counterparts. In addition, the pips on polymer dominoes were difficult to see. This caused many people to prefer natural and handmade dominoes.