What All Organizations Can Learn from Bhutan

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What It’s About: This is about being humble enough to learn and unlearn from others who challenge underlying assumptions. In this case, I want to highlight the small, economically poor country of Bhutan. How many deaths due to the pandemic have there been in Bhutan? ONE. In Jan. 2021, a man in his 30’s with serious underlying conditions was Bhutan’s first death. The following is background from a recent article in the Atlantic: “It ( Bhutan) had only 337 physicians for a population of around 760,000—less than half the World Health Organization’s recommended ratio of doctors to people—and only one of these physicians had advanced training in critical care. It had barely 3,000 health workers, and one PCR machine to test viral samples. It was on the United Nations’ list of least developed countries, with a per capita GDP of $3,412. And while its northern frontier with China had been closed for decades, it shared a porous 435-mile border with India, which now has the world’s second-highest number of recorded cases and fourth-highest number of reported deaths.”

By any definition, one would assume that Bhutan would become a pandemic disaster zone, while a rich country with the world's most extensive and expensive health care system would fare the best. The reverse happened. Why? (Please read the entire article for a rundown of amazing tactics implanted).

So What?: It’s about having a great culture. Let’s look at just three of the 10 Culture Elements I believe are necessary for extraordinary cultures, and apply it to the Bhutan situation.

Great (Not Perfect) Leadership: According to The Atlantic: “During the country’s summer lockdown, Wangmo, the health minister, slept in ministry facilities for weeks, away from her young son. Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, a highly respected physician who continued to perform surgeries on Saturdays during most of the crisis, slept every night during the lockdown on a window seat in his office—a photo in the newspaper The Bhutanese showed his makeshift bed’s rumpled blankets and an ironing board standing nearby. Members of Parliament gave up a month’s salary for the response effort; hoteliers offered their properties as free quarantine facilities; farmers donated crops. When lights in the Ministry of Health’s offices burned all night, locals brought hot milk tea and homemade ema datshi—scorching chilies and cheese, the national dish.”

Intentional Values: Bhutan’s approach as a Buddhist country, actually values Gross National Happiness, and it intentionally embodies society wide values of compassion, care, kindness and humbleness. It is stunning what this little country did by coming together. These values drove a sophisticated, systemic approach, making use of every possible resource. Shared values, when put into daily action, makes an incredible difference.

Inspiring Purpose and Story: As a country, ALL people focused on the well being of each other as the underlying premise for the action they took. ALL levels and sectors of society had to give and contribute. It wasn’t about ME first. The good of ALL came first.

This past weekend, I read about two men being charged for impersonating sheriffs so they wouldn’t have to wear masks at a Wyndham Resort in the U.S. I imagine it would be difficult for a Bhutanese to understand this behavior.

Now What?: Let’s always embrace challenging and rethinking our assumptions. Someone, or some group has likely found a better, or more productive way. Thank you, Bhutan. We are humbled by the results you’ve achieved, processes you implemented, and the culture you share.

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now,

Lorne

One Millennial View: It’s truly incredible to see what small populations can do when in crisis mode. This’ll be a little longer than my normal contribution, however I happened to recently witness this first hand. As some of you may know, I live in Austin, Texas, and we had quite the snow/ice storm here last week that left thousands without power, water, and heat for 72+ hours. Roads were undrivable, grocery stores barren, fast food closed, most gas stations shut down, and even walking on the unsalted asphalt and sidewalks could be grueling, if not dangerous. Most of us don’t even own snow shovels, so we raked our driveways. Apparently if there’s anything that can mess with Texas, it’s the cold. Nevertheless, I’ve seen multiple restaurants prepare and hand out complimentary hot meals as their kitchens reopened. We’re talking gourmet stuff here. Pizza places were giving away hundreds of pies for anyone in need of warm substance to feed their families. When our local, beloved grocery store lost power, they just let hundreds of customers leave with their full carts, no payment necessary. They know those customers will be back, and community care came before profit. The swift reaction of neighbors helping neighbors, conserving energy for those who didn’t have it, sharing energy with those in need, utility workers scrambling day and night to restore pipes, etc, has all been exemplary. The elements around here were as frigid as we’ve ever seen, but the Texan culture proves to be warm. I’m happy to report it’s now 75 degrees (23 C).

- Garrett

Edited and published by Garrett Rubis

What All Organizations Can Learn from Bhutan

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