A domino is a small, rectangular game piece with anywhere from zero to six dots. It’s used in a variety of games to knock over other pieces in a pattern called a domino rally. Dominoes can also be lined up in various shapes to create designs. The resulting patterns are often quite impressive. Dominoes are a great example of the domino effect, which is the concept that one behavior can influence and lead to other behaviors. For example, if you make a habit of making your bed each day, it’s likely that other parts of your house will start to get more tidy as well.
When Lily Hevesh was a kid, her grandparents gave her the classic 28-piece domino set. She loved setting up a line of dominoes in a straight or curved path and flicking them over. Her fascination with the way one domino triggered the next led to her becoming a professional domino artist who creates massive setups for movies, TV shows, and events like a Katy Perry album release. Her YouTube channel, Hevesh5, has more than 2 million subscribers.
In the early days of Domino’s, founder and CEO Tom Monaghan emphasized getting the pizza company into the right markets. He pushed to put Domino’s in locations where college students would hang out, because he knew that they wanted pizza quickly. This strategy worked, and the business grew exponentially.
After Monaghan left the company, new leadership focused on introducing more items to the Domino’s menu. These efforts were met with mixed results, and the company found itself in a lot of debt. The CEO who replaced Monaghan, David Brandon, recognized that the company needed to focus on the things that its customers were most pleased with. He started by promoting the company’s core values, including Champion Our Customers. This meant that he would listen to customer feedback, and he would do what it took to fix the problems that were being reported.
Domino’s also focused on improving its delivery service by building a fleet of specially designed cars to get pizzas to customers as quickly as possible. The company also started experimenting with delivery via drones and robots. This modernization of the Domino’s brand was designed to keep up with its competitors and provide the best possible experience for its loyal customers.
In many ways, these changes are just as effective as Domino’s iconic blue and white cars. By focusing on the aspects of the company that its customers care about most, the brand has seen a resurgence in popularity.
If you want to try the Domino Effect in your own life, begin by focusing on the one behavior that’s most important to you. Then, work on making that behavior the default in your daily routine. It’s important to remember that this process may take time, but that’s okay. The most important thing is to remain persistent, and watch as one small domino causes other related habits to fall into place.