I recently learned about Bhutan, a small country in South Asia located at the eastern end of the Himalayas, surrounded by China and India. What’s interesting about Bhutan is that it does not have a Gross Domestic Product. Instead, it’s the only country in the world to have a Gross National Happiness as its main development indicator.
This assessment of quality of life “was designed in an attempt to define an indicator and concept that measures quality of life or social progress in more holistic and psychological terms than only the economic indicator.” What started out as an offhanded comment or joke—to strengthen Bhutan’s primarily Buddhist culture—was actually taken seriously, and the Center for Bhutan Studies, developed a sophisticated survey to measure the population's general level of well-being.
According to Business Week, “The small Asian nation of Bhutan ranks eighth [in happiness] in the world, despite relatively low life expectancy, a literacy rate of just 47 percent, and a very low [actual] GDP per capita. Why? Researchers credit an unusually strong sense of national identity.” Leaders who want to increase employee engagement and productivity, and boost their company’s overall sense of workplace culture, can learn a lesson from Bhutan's fourth Dragon King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
If you would like to boost employee morale and productivity, here are seven ways you and your employees can be happier at work.
Click here to read the rest of the column written by Ty Hall on Profiles International's Workplace 101 Blog.
