Bridging the Generation Gap

-->

Bhutan is rich in culture and traditions. It is considered one of the pillars of Gross National Happiness. This pillar is today faced with numerous challenges with the rapid socio-economic growth in Bhutan. In fact, the rate at which culture is depleting in Bhutan is faster than the expected pace.The civil servants system in Bhutan

is one such example. The civil servants in Bhutan are lead by so called the seasoned, senior and experienced with lots of wisdom. With growing number of fresh and young citizens are dominating in terms of number.

The greatest challenge in the civil servants is the generation gap between the young and old civil servants. In most cases, the old ones always win over the young ones, since they are the bosses.

I am a  young and stepping on the carrier in the civil service not only witness but also experience in my daily life of being a civil servant. The old bosses though does not tell, yet seemed to expect more respect, listen to their own proposal at times not understanding that some of their plans and proposals are more archaic and may not suit the present world, the world of information era. Some even tell, some react, some get frustrated, some annoyed and some feel offended if any young tries to convince them.

Today, many of our old parents and bosses feel that the young generations are losing the sense of respect, the very essence of living culture in our country. When the young civil servants make efforts to justify to their bosses, the bosses feel that they are challenging them and do not feel good. One of the reasons why many young civil servants get dormant and adapted to the system in spite of many potential and new ideas when they first join in the civil service.

The young ones feel that they are often harassed, their bosses rigid, unwelcoming or too bossy, too diplomatic and too demanding and adamant to adapt to the new world, the world of information era where everything takes place in a blink of an eye.

This does not mean that our senior government officials are archaic and old fashioned and are not good planners, thinkers or leaders. They are in their own way and that is why what Bhutan is today. Thus, it is praise worthy for bringing Bhutan forth into one of the most peaceful and nation of Gross National Happiness.

Similarly, the young ones  are due to the way they are brought up, the exposures they have and the world we see today unlike decades ago.

 The only challenge is the absence to bridge the gap and ability on the both side, the old and the young to blend the old wisdom and innovations. The old needs to more be more open, welcoming in innovations and creativities. The new ones need more ability to extract the wisdom and experiences in bridging the gap. Otherwise, the future of the country would face lots of difficulty in adjusting the present system of taking Bhutan into a greater height looking at the Bhutanese population (33% below 24 youth in Bhutan) and the opportunities and exposures ahead of them.