Sequencing and its correlation to coordination in a team
Coordination is a primary method of synchronization to avoid interruption of operations and to ensure unity of action among individuals and groups, which together help to accomplish organizational goals. Needs, significance, and importance of coordination are many. Basically, we can cluster such needs in three categories as under:
i. Division of labour
ii. Interdependence of units
iii. Integration of individual units with organisation
In another way, such needs can be understood in the following ways:
i. Coordination is important because of the growth in the size of organisation
ii. Coordination is important because of growing specialisation
iii. Finally, it is important due to the diversity of human nature.
The work that we do in an organisation/ company is analogous to the formation of DNA through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). That sounds fancy! DNA is a crucial part of an organism. As long as DNA exists in its right form, the organism exists. I propose to compare DNA with the work we do. An organisation continues to exist only as long as it functions, i.e. the work that is intended to be done is done. When no one works, it’s defunct.
Let’s study the science of life for a little while. A DNA double helix forms another DNA by duplication process. The two strands (parts) of DNA first separate into two individual units. Now, let’s stop there and zoom in a little. Each strand has a combination of four letters — A C G and T. These aren’t just letters from our alphabet though. There’s something unique about them. They don’t get along well with any random member of this group. They become friends only with certain members. A is friends only with T and vice versa. Similarly, G is friends only with C and vice versa and they do this till the end of the line. Well, that’s consistency and loyalty. Likewise, when we form a bond with someone, we have got to take it till the end of our line.
Every work in an organisation is different and let’s say every work has its own invisible sequence code. Say, one work has the invisible code: AGTCCTGGAATC. That’s similar to a sequence code in a DNA. Now, it’s the skill of the team leader or the manager to decipher this code, change herself/himself according to the needs of the work and align with this work. It is only when the leader understands, changes oneself and aligns with this work code, she/he can direct the team in the right way. If the leader fails to take the right step here, the further process collapses. So who’s this leader at the micro level?
A primer is a short nucleic acid sequence that provides a starting point for DNA synthesis. The synthesis of a primer is necessary because the enzymes that synthesize DNA, which is called DNA polymerases, can only attach new DNA nucleotides to an existing strand of nucleotides. This primer attracts the polymerase, due to its nature. A primer is a crucial part of sequencing. Similarly, sequencing is important in team coordination so that thoughts match and everyone works as one team.
How does the mechanism that occurs at the micro level apply to the macro level i.e. our life?
A primer is like a team leader or manager. Like the way a primer initiates and directs the work of DNA formation, a manager directs her/his team to the work. Take this primer out, and the polymerase will float around all over the place with no motivation to attach to the strand. If you noticed here, it is the polymerase, the team members who actually do the work assigned to them. A primer is one who has the right combination of nucleotides that would align with the strand. What we can understand by this is, the primer itself has to be well arranged, properly sequenced. Only the rightly sequenced primer knows the work well and can direct others to do the work properly. Else, team members would get confused and that would lead to failure of the task, and in turn of the organism.
Good primers strike a fine balance between specificity and amplification efficiency. Specificity is controlled primarily by primer length and annealing temperature. For ideal amplification, the best primers are 17 to 24 bases long. The shorter the primers, the more efficiently they can anneal to target DNA.
There is another type of primer in our team called as universal primer. A universal primer, as the name suggests, is a primer that can anneal with many different types of DNA templates. For many PCR applications, universal primers are sufficient to promote a successful DNA amplification process. Doesn’t it sound similar to that person in the team who’s ready to take on any given work? Such a person would quickly adapt to the given work and initiate it, such a person wouldn’t wait for the manager to guide. Aren’t there such people in our team?
But the completion of any work doesn’t depend just on the primer. Primer just acts as the motivator. The real work is done by the employees, the polymerase, the tutors, in our case. Even if a single team member fails to form the right connection, then something goes South. Say, A formed bond with G instead of T, then what we have is a mutation. Such sort of combination is what causes a problem in the organism, it’s what causes something to go awry. What you can see here is that every single unit, every single tutor is essential. It is essential for us to do our work in the right way only. What seems just one letter mismatch at the micro-level amplifies to a catastrophic failure of the organisation. To understand it, let’s take an example. Let’s say there are 100 tutors. They formed all the right pairs with the right students, i.e. they solved their doubts properly. But there was only one case where the tutor didn’t match perfectly with the student. That one case went so wrong that the student raised a complaint and that defamed the company. All the work of 99 employees goes in vain when this happens. That’s the reason I stress the importance of individual tutor. The importance of everyone doing their duty properly.
This is how genetics work at the microscopic level. But what happens at the micro-level ultimately reflects at the macro-level, i.e. our everyday life. When we face any problem, we go to its root. But now, we know what goes on at the root. So if we could relate our work life to it and act accordingly, then maybe we could excel at our work and avoid possible mistakes.
