Let’s talk about how you can use an old and well-established technique to bring your team of engineers (no matter where on the globe they hail from) into alignment of understanding. And without the need for time-consuming meetings that no one seems to be mentally present at anyway.
Recently there have been stories about how Jensen Huang reads a huge number of emails each morning. The story is likely exaggerated – a calculation of the implication of the claims indicates that he would not really be reading the emails. However, there are details about the nature of the emails – written so that the key points can be extracted quickly – and how this allows for a much flatter company structure - Jensen Huang can quickly distil key information for situational awareness without the need for middle management or excessive and wasteful meetings.
He has been described by some as revolutionising management.
But is this really anything new?
Not really – it is a variation on the theme of the established one-pager.
The one-pager you say?
The one-pager has been a tool of business and management for so long it is hard to establish the origin. That’s an indicator of how powerful it can be. Yet many still do not understand the power, and do not use this remarkable tool.
Why is the one-pager so powerful?
It comes down to two things: the speed of talking and the speed of reading.
People can speak about 150 words a minute. They can read up to 300 words a minute.
You can see the power already.
If, instead of asking people to present in a meeting, you ask them to write a one-pager for others to read, then you have just halved the time demands on each person involved.
But there is even more benefit.
Each person can read at a time that suits – allowing them to better manage their time in general. They also focus when they read – instead of sitting in a meeting looking like they are paying attention when they are not (especially if the meeting is an online one when everyone is working on other things anyway).
And not the disadvantages you might assume.
You might assume the use of the one-pager is a one-way thing: no chance to ask questions. But, after reading a series of one-pagers, you, and others, can follow up if needed. Maybe even call a meeting – but this time you know that meeting will be focused, and of greater value.
Excellent record keeping.
If you have a repository of one-pagers for any engineering project or activities, then you have a great record of efforts. This can be excellent to review why certain things have been done, find how to resolve issues solved prior, and to prepare for stage gate presentations or audits.
Nuances in the global context.
If you do choose to try the one-pager in a global context, then you will find that different cultures will write them differently. And none of them will be ideal.
Western-style. Tell ‘em what you are going to tell ‘em, tell ‘em, and then tell ‘em what you told ‘em. The use of this tricolon method does help to drill the point. But it does also mean space has been wasted – you do have only one page after all.
Confucian style. Spiral to the point. Cover the various aspects of concern as you slowly get to your point – like exploring the whole landscape so nothing is missed. It is a good way to ensure coverage, but, as we will learn, it is good to be upfront with the point.
Arabic style. The zigzagging of iteration. The traditional Arabic approach is start each section with a summary of the last and how it links to the new one. It is indeed good to note interconnectedness, but there is limited space so best to be concise.
The ideal style of the one-pager.
Start with the main points to be conveyed. That helps the reader determine if they need to read more – thus saving people even more time. This section should include any thoughts on how others could be affected – so you can be more sure people will know if they need to read on. It should also include what support, if any, is needed from others – you won’t get help if you don’t ask.
Next, provide the detailed information to support the above. There should be no new information here – just details to better explain what has been said. And it could include images, but do not use up too much space.
You can of course stipulate any format you wish. But be careful. When you are too prescriptive other engineers lose their initiative, you can waste space on things that are not important, and you might not get all the details that are actually relevant.
A truly ideal application for AI in global engineering.
“I apologize for such a long letter - I didn't have time to write a short one.” ― Mark Twain
It does take time to write a concise one-pager. Not much more than it should take to prepare for a presentation in a meeting, but time, nonetheless. So anything that can help with that is ideal.
And AI is excellent at taking a list of thoughts, ideas, questions and so on, and then turning them into a polished concise document. I use it frequently in meetings to take people’s individual comments and then turn them into topic-based meeting minutes in an instant.
Not to mention auto-reviewing.
I mentioned above how a collection of one-pagers can make a great record of an engineering project or be used for audits. Well, you can use AI for these things too. If all the one-pagers are fed into an AI system, then you can:

1. ask it about ongoing issues that present,
2. report on the status of specific issues,
3. ask how you might solve a challenge you currently have, and
4. get it to generate larger summaries of the state of a design of a project – ideal for management and induction of new engineers.

Take the time now to think about the kinds of things you could get AI to generate if you had a large collection of one-pagers for the engineering project(s) you are working on now.
And it can translate too!
So anyone in your team can write in any language they like, then have it translated into the language the team uses. It can then also be translated into the reader’s language to help further again to enhance understanding.
You can see now the power of the one-pager as an alternative to having someone(s) present in a meeting – especially as a global engineer.
So if you have ongoing meetings where people update their efforts and you think are not doing their job well, or, people seem to waste time calling a meeting each time they have an issue, then try the one-pager method.
Suggest a layout and encourage people to use AI to help.

There are two types of people in this world – yes, only two.
Those who have their ideas while sitting on the toilet and those who have their ideas in the shower.
It is in one of these times of solitude and contemplation that they ponder things in their life and insights that have grown deep inside the unconscious psyche burst into the conscious mind.
It is painfully rare for anyone to be in the shower or on the toilet during any kind of review or brainstorming session. And even if they were, these sessions are group activities so there is no solitude – is it more the solitude than the place that is important.
For this reason, you are not likely to get all possible insights from an engineering team in any kind of group session. Be it a design review, a scoping activity, a brainstorming session, a risk analysis activity, basically, any activity where you want as many insights as possible to ensure long-term success.
If you are like me, then you have likely had that annoying experience where you think you have considered all issues and perspectives, documented them, assessed them, and then determined a path forward, only to have one or two people come to you with more ideas, issues, or perspectives.
You appreciate that they are sharing these, but it is still annoying that they come to you after you have done all this work.
You feel like you are going in circles and making no progress as you get dragged back each time. You might even decide to ignore them simply so you can progress – even if it is not the most optimised path you are taking.
The other thing that might occur to you is that while these are the extra ideas that are shared, there could well be other ideas that were had by people who don’t want to bother anyone – given the work that has been done.
It really would have been good to have these ideas presented earlier.
So what to do?
Factor this into the related activities.
Don’t ever assume any brainstorming session, design review, scoping party, gemba walk, risk assessment, or anything else like that will be done in a single sitting. Book one session, run it, give people a break – long enough to have been in the shower or on the toilet – say a couple of days – then have another session.
That way, you can be more sure you have conducted an exhaustive, yet not exhausting, consideration.
Don’t have time for such an approach?
Then simply accept you will not cover everything, and proceed at risk.
Best to factor these extra steps into your plans though.

Meetings can be powerful. When they are run well, they create shared situational awareness, bring every concern to the surface, build an action plan, and leave the team aligned and moving forward together.
When they are not, the best they can do is make a few people feel important while everyone else leaves frustrated, convinced they have wasted time and slipped further behind.

The Manager’s Tool
A well-run meeting is one of the best tools available to any engineering manager, global or not. It creates shared awareness. It builds trust. It keeps everyone moving together.
If you want to explore this further, you may also want to read my earlier article on what makes a great engineering manager.
Because if you want to lead engineers well, you need to master the meeting.

So what makes the difference?

Lessons From Student Politics - of all places
I was lucky to be involved in student politics during my engineering studies. Meetings there followed strict rules and procedures. Everyone had a chance to contribute. Everyone left knowing exactly what had been agreed and who was responsible for what.
To this day, I have never seen a business meeting run as well as the ones I attended as a student. I have seen some better than others, but not that good.

The Global Engineer’s Challenge
In the global engineering context, meetings come with added complexity. Teams bring different cultures, different expectations, and different habits to the table.
Erin Meyer, in her book The Culture Map, describes how cultures approach meetings differently. My take on this is that there are three broad types:

• Romantic meetings – common in parts of Western Europe, rooted in the Roman tradition. They focus on ideas and concepts. Creative, yes, but often without a clear outcome.
• Pragmatic meetings – common in Anglo-Saxon cultures. These aim to produce concrete decisions and action plans.
• Bureaucratic meetings – more common in Asian contexts. Here, the meeting is often the place where decisions are officially signed off, rather than debated.

Each has its place. The job of the global engineer is to recognise which type is best suited to the moment, and to make sure everyone else in the room knows what kind of meeting they are walking into.

How to Get It Right Every Time
No matter how diverse your team is, there is a process you can follow to get the most out of your meetings:

1. Decide on the type of meeting you want. Is it about generating ideas? Aligning on the current situation and next steps? Officially signing off?
2. Write an agenda. Be clear and specific.
3. Send invitations with purpose. Tell people why they are needed and what you expect from them. Include any pre-reading.
4. Remind participants beforehand. Make sure they come prepared.
5. Nominate someone to take minutes. With today’s tools, these can be done live so everyone can agree on the record as it develops.
6. End with agreement. Confirm together what was decided: the ideas generated, the tasks assigned, or the decisions signed off.

And remember: in many contexts, much of what is said in the meeting has already been agreed beforehand. That can be a strength. Use it when it helps you reach clarity faster.

Why Expectations Matter
The quality of meetings varies not only across countries but also across companies. Never assume your team’s prior experiences will align with yours.
Some people may think you are wasting their time if they do not understand the purpose. Others may feel insulted if they expected one type of meeting and you delivered another.
That is why you need to set expectations clearly before the meeting begins. Tell people what kind of meeting it will be, what you need from them, and what success will look like.

Do you have any experience running meetings that other engineers can learn from?