I have not been very promiscuous. It might have been fun but I am just not that kind of guy. It means that in a career that now stretches across four decades, I have only had three places of work. The most recent of these, Monocle, has proved to be the longest lasting. This week, LinkedIn informed me that I have just hit my 20th work anniversary in the business.
Now I am not going to make you accompany me all the way down memory lane just yet. That will happen this coming 14 February when we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first issue of the magazine hitting newsstands. But do you mind if we head down the lane just a little way? I promise that you won’t even need your wellies.
While I was having dinner with Tyler, I asked for his advice about a couple of jobs that I had been offered. And that’s when he suggested that, before I made any hasty decisions, I should come see him the following morning. He wanted to show me a new magazine that he was working on with the working title, “Project Europa”. And it was a project that he would like me to edit. If I agreed, however, I would need to stay put at the newspaper where I was employed as he was still raising the start-up capital. The next morning, I went to see him and he showed me mocked-up covers and some poster-sized sheets created to show potential advertisers what was in store. I wanted to be part of this.
It took some months for the money to be raised but one day the CEO, Robyn Holt, phoned me and, in her great Aussie voice, said, “Doll, the money is in the bank. Resign.” I did. And just look at what has unfolded.
I have been lucky in many ways, including becoming friends with Tyler when we were both in our twenties (though he’s annoyingly younger than me). But also because I have been able to work on this magazine for so long. How rare will that be in the future?
This week I went to the launch of a report by Imperial Lifelong Learning – part of Imperial College London – called “Everyone but me: What UK employees told us about AI and skills”. Turns out that most people think that they have AI know-how but co-workers don’t. There was a panel of enthusiasts: all believers that AI has the potential to create efficiencies and aid creativity.
But as I listened, I also sensed that we were entering a world where staff will never be able to drop their guard. They will constantly need to look over their shoulders, fearing that they might become obsolete. How do we ensure that lifelong learning doesn’t become lifelong worry? And will people who don’t want numerous work partners be able to find a company where they are wanted, not for a quickie, but for something meaningful and long-lasting?
Last Saturday, on a perfect autumn day with trees ablaze with rich red leaves and the sun reflecting pools of mellow light off ancient windows, we went with friends from Madrid to the V&A. We drifted through rooms filled with bronze sculptures, Bauhaus silver and ecclesiastical treasures. It’s free to visit the V&A and the museum was full of people from every corner of the world. Then we headed to Soho for noodles and, later, dinner at Café Clement. The city was at its best, at ease, joyous.
As more places seek to dissuade tourists – unless they are rich – from clogging up their streets and as many European capitals hide behind boarded up shop windows, London is still rolling out the welcome mat. Tourists are welcome here. They add to the city. I like living in a place that’s gloriously cosmopolitan.
Oh, and one of those Madrid friends? I have now known him for almost 40 years. Seems that I am more reliable than I imagined.
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