Dominoes are black and white rectangles that form part of a set, usually containing 28 pieces. They are also known as bones, cards, tiles, spinners or tickets. Some people line them up to create shapes, while others play games with them. Today’s Wonder of the Day explores a domino effect that is more powerful than you might think!
The word “domino” is most often used to describe a chain reaction, where one thing knocks over another. The most common way to create a domino effect is to build a long row of the squares and then push one end of the row down on top of the other. This causes the rest of the row to fall over, and so on. The process can be repeated until all the pieces have fallen. Some domino sets are arranged in a pattern, such as a cross, and other structures can be built, such as towers or pyramids.
Many different games are played with dominoes, including blocking games like matador, chicken foot and Mexican train. There are also scoring games, such as bergen and muggins, where players try to empty their opponents’ hands. There are even domino card games, which are adaptations of the card game solitaire that were once popular in places where religious rules prohibited playing cards.
Most dominoes are made of a material such as bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or a dark hardwood such as ebony with contrasting black or white pips. They are normally twice as wide as they are tall, and each end features a value that ranges from one to six spots. The sum of the values on either side of a tile is its rank or weight.
There are also a number of other materials that can be used to make dominoes, including wood; natural stone (such as marble, granite and soapstone); metals; ceramic clay; and plastic. In addition, some sets are crafted from more exotic or luxurious materials such as ivory, mother of pearl, silver, gold and even diamonds.
When it comes to leadership, domino is an interesting example. The company was founded in 1984 by two brothers, who believed they could change the pizza delivery business by emphasizing speed and efficiency. While this strategy worked in the early days, as the company grew and diversified, it became clear that a new approach was needed.
In an effort to make changes, the brothers hired a new CEO in 1997 who focused on improving customer service and increasing employee involvement. He emphasized the importance of listening to employees, which was a key factor in winning a Detroit Free Press Top Workplace award for Domino’s.
Domino’s continued to invest in its employees and customers, which paid off. The company reported record sales in 2004 and a new brand positioning of “Think Global, Act Local.” While not all leaders can be as effective as Domino’s, the lesson is that listening to your team and acting locally can have a positive impact on your organization.