When I started working in the BBC’s Washington news bureau I made two rules for the weekly staff meeting. First, no meeting longer than 20 minutes. (Life’s too short.) Second, all ideas are welcome. Criticism was welcome, too, but only if it pointed to a better idea.
In other newsrooms, businesses, government and other organisational meetings I had attended, I often thought discussions went in circles and nothing creative emerged. In the hope of managing things better I also read a few American “self help” management books. These were a disappointment.
The titles promised “10 Tips for Top Managers” right up to “10 Ways To Reinvent The Universe”, but my inner critic wondered why – beyond a snappy title – there were only 10 solutions to life’s problems. Surely there could be 11? Or 57? And why were the books always so cheerful?
I considered the possibility that I'm simply a miserable Brit who doesn't get America’s can-do culture, but I’m recounting these personal eccentricities to explain why I approached Tom Fletcher’s new book, Ten Survival Skills For A World In Flux, with a sense of both hope and fear.
The sceptical me was fearful about the inevitable 10 (not 11) survival skills. I also wondered if Fletcher – a fellow Brit and contributor at The National – would truly confront how confusing and unnerving much of modern life seems to be, or be cheerfully whistling past the graveyard. But the hopeful me knew something of Fletcher’s reputation as an agile problem solver. He has been UK ambassador to Lebanon and worked with three hard-headed British prime ministers, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
By the time I finished the book hope triumphed over fear, partly because while Fletcher structures his analysis around 10 skills, his hints, tips, advice, comments and things-you-and-I-can-do-today to bring about change are so frequent that I lost count. Not 10 ideas, not even 57, but countless.
I made notes of quotes from what is a provocative and hugely thoughtful compendium of positive and realistic thinking to navigate an increasingly difficult world. It’s leavened by the wisdom of dozens of prominent thinkers and doers, many of whom Fletcher has met personally. The positive tone is admirable and ultimately infectious but only because Fletcher does not dodge the profound difficulties facing us now as individuals, nations, governments, businesses and as a planet.
Fletcher offers a structure for seeing, naming and ultimately dealing with the torrent of problems now and to come
To use Fletcher’s phrase, the world is in a state of flux, but it’s only a glimpse of what is to come. The human experience is changing faster than at any time in history. At the current rate of ageing, by 2100 10 per cent of global GDP will be paid in pensions to the elderly. Our information deluge drowns us in texts, emails, social and other media, not to mention innovations that haven’t hit us yet, some of which connect us and yet also divide us into tribes.
In the case of television alone, as Fletcher writes: “20 million watched Queen Elizabeth II coronation in 1953. Three-hundred million watched her sister’s wedding in 1960. One billion watched her daughter-in-law’s wedding in 1981. Two billion watched her daughter-in-law’s funeral in 1997. A reality TV presenter became US president in 2016.”
In the workplace almost half of today’s jobs are at high risk. Those which will disappear include taxi drivers, surveyors, fast food workers, translators and parking enforcement workers. Climate change means we will experience “the greatest wave of global migration the world has ever seen”.
We cannot escape from this unsettling world, and so many of us are daunted by it. Fletcher, meanwhile, offers a structure for seeing, naming and ultimately dealing with the torrent of problems now and to come. His account is enlivened by the thoughts of those he's worked with – including intellectuals and thinkers from around the globe, and some words with world leaders he happened to meet, including Barack Obama.
I particularly like how Fletcher suggests we should interrogate ourselves by asking “what guides what you do?” or what would a behind-the-scenes documentary of your life and work reveal? (Mine might resemble a horror film.)
I was also struck by Fletcher’s stories of how small changes can improve behaviour. One is of a university posting a series of interesting questions near their elevators. A sign told students the answers could be found in the stairwells. Curious students stopped using the elevators. They climbed the stairs to find answers.
Fletcher’s core message is, for me at least, realistically optimistic. For humanity to survive and thrive we must be both curious and co-operative. Yes, we can criticise each other, but only if we can offer something better. And urgent problems need long-term strategies but also urgent action, not endless committee meetings going round in circles.
Gavin Esler is a broadcaster, author and columnist for The National
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
Founder: Nour Sabri
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
Investors: Amr Manaa (director, PwC Middle East)
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
- UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
- Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
- Oman v Hong Kong, no result
Tuesday fixtures:
- Malaysia v Singapore
- UAE v Oman
- Nepal v Hong Kong
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
