Domino’s Pizza and the Power of Micro-Consequences
When most people think of domino, they probably picture the famous chain reaction where one thing knocks over another. But the word has much more to offer than that simple analogy. It also represents the way that micro-consequences can lead to macro-effects, and how we can use this to our advantage.
As a book editor, I often tell my clients to think of each scene in their novel as a domino. Each domino has its own little plot beat that might seem insignificant on its own, but once you put them all together they create a whole sequence of events that leads to the big payoff. The trick is to find the right nudge that will send them all over at once, rather than tipping each individual domino over slowly and tediously.
Domino is a game for two to four players, played on a double-sided table with squares of wood or plastic, each having either black or white faces. Each domino has a line in the center, visually dividing it into two equal parts or “ends,” with each end having a value, usually indicated by a number of spots (called pips). Dominoes that remain after play are called the boneyard or stock, and the person who draws first must play the heaviest piece (the one with the most pips) to set up an initial row of other pieces.
The most basic Western games of domino involve building a row of seven or more pieces by putting down each successive piece on top of the previous one. The first player who completes the row wins. There are many variations of this and other games, but most involve some form of alternating turns between players.
One of the biggest challenges in this new era for Domino’s was how to shift from the traditional dine-in model to COVID-19-approved delivery practices. They recognized that the biggest obstacle was their lack of delivery vehicles and reacted quickly.
As they built new trucks and hired drivers, they also worked on reshaping their company culture to match the changing needs of their customers. They focused on leadership that was more about standing out than bureaucratic structure, and shifted their approach to management to be more participatory, encouraging employees to make decisions that would benefit the company as a whole.
And when it comes to their pizza, they’ve gone back to their roots to create a brand that celebrates the history of the chain, while updating its image with new styles and designs. This has been an important part of their strategy as they’ve continued to grow, despite their slower start than many might have expected in this period of disruption and uncertainty. This approach is a great example of how a domino can have many uses in a very different kind of world.