The word domino means “a tile or other piece that forms part of a line or pattern and that can be knocked over by another.” It’s also used figuratively to describe the way one thing leads to something else, like a lineup of hundreds (or thousands) of dominoes set up in careful sequence toppling with just the nudge of a single piece.
Domino is a generic gaming device that can be used for a variety of games, including a game where each player places a domino edge to edge against another in a row so that the adjacent sides match and form some specified total. Dominoes have markings, called pips, that originally represented the results of throwing two six-sided dice. There are also more specific variants of the domino game, such as a domino show where builders create elaborate and imaginative domino reaction pieces for spectators.
In writing, domino effects are a useful tool to help you plan and structure your story. Whether you’re a pantser who writes on the fly, or a planner who uses Scrivener or some other outline tool to help you plot ahead of time, you still have to think about what happens next in your story and how each scene will lead to the one that follows it. The goal is to get all your scenes arranged in a row so that the reader experiences a smooth action that builds and escalates until the big climax.
For example, the story of how Domino’s Pizza grew is often told by focusing on their strategy in putting locations near colleges. This was a great strategy for the company because it targeted their core customer – young people who wanted to buy pizza quickly. This strategy helped them dominate the market and grow rapidly in their early days.
As the company grew, however, they realized they needed to change their strategy and focus on improving quality. In order to do this, they launched a Domino’s University program in which employees received training on food safety and how to handle customer issues. This resulted in a huge increase in customer satisfaction and improved product quality.
Another example of a domino effect is a soccer team’s winning streak that leads to a state playoff berth. A single victory can have a huge impact on the entire team and the confidence of the community in their abilities.
The same is true for leadership and management. One of the best examples is Domino’s Pizza CEO Don Meij who was featured on an episode of Undercover Boss. In this episode, Meij goes to work at a Domino’s restaurant and observes how the employees manage their work and interact with the customers. He then takes charge of one of the busiest delivery services to see how they operate and the effect their efforts have on their performance.
In a business context, Domino’s is the leader of the pizza industry and the organization has built its success on strong leadership, which is often seen in their employee training and development programs. It is this kind of leadership that can be emulated by other businesses, especially in the service sector.