When a domino falls, it sets off a chain reaction that eventually topples other pieces. A similar phenomenon happens in life when a person changes one habit, and the new behavior causes a shift in other areas of their life. For example, when a person decreases their time spent watching television, their nutrition may improve as a natural side effect. These chains of change are a reminder of the importance of being mindful of our behaviors and the impact they have on others.
Domino, also known as bones, cards, men, pieces, or tiles, are small rectangular blocks used for a variety of gaming purposes. Each domino has a line down the middle that separates it visually into two squares, each marked with an arrangement of spots called pips. Unlike playing cards or dice, which have a fixed number of values, each domino has different values depending on its size and the number of pips it has. Usually, dominoes are twice as long as they are wide and have either a single end or a pair of ends that are identically patterned with the same value. The most common domino set contains 28 pieces, called a double six set.
One of the most popular uses for domino is to play games that require strategic thinking, such as a scoring version of fives-and-threes. The goal is to score points by attaching a domino from one’s hand to one of the ends of those already played so that the sum of the end tiles can be divided by five or three. Each time this is accomplished, a point is scored. The game is popular in British pubs and social clubs.
After a domino collapses, it releases a large amount of energy in the form of heat and sound. This explains why the largest dominoes take several nail-biting minutes to fall. The force that finally pushes them over is gravity, which pulls the domino down toward Earth. The falling domino also generates friction between itself and the surface it is resting on, which converts some of that potential energy into the force necessary to knock over the next piece.
In business, the domino principle is a way to think about a process or project by breaking it down into good dominoes that will move other parts forward. A good domino is a task that will have an impact on the bigger picture, and it can be challenging or take a lot of focus.
Charles Schwab, a former CEO of the pizza delivery company Domino’s, was taught this concept by his executive coach Ivy Lee. Schwab learned to pick just a few good dominoes each day and rank them according to their importance. He would then concentrate his full attention on the first domino and complete it before moving to the next task. This strategy helped him increase productivity and create a sense of accomplishment every day. It also helped him get his family and work life back in order after he lost control of the company.
