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.

​You’ve likely seen this in action: people arguing about who was responsible for what, conflicting versions of the same plan, parts that don’t fit together, or teams who only discover they’re on different timelines after it’s too late. The best outcome when things like this happens is that you end up behind schedule. The worst thing is that the engineering goal is never achieved – or only partially achieved after blowing out the budget and the schedule.
This happens when engineering teams do not have shared situational awareness. Situational awareness is one of the core attributes of any successful team. And if you don’t have it, then, no matter how skilled the engineers in the team are, they will not be succeed.
This issue of lacking shared situational awareness is even more prevalent when you are members of your team are from different backgrounds. This is because each member will contextualise differently based on their background.
Therefore, as a global engineer, it is vital that you know how to create shared situational awareness.
Here are three simple but powerful ways engineers and engineering teams can build and maintain shared situational awareness – whether you’re working on software, spacecraft, or subways.

1. Get in the Same Room
It sounds simple, because it is. The first and most powerful step is to get everyone physically in the same location. In the Agile Manifesto, one of the key principles is: "The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation."
This idea has roots far older than Agile. In the Toyota Production System, it was formalized as Obeya (literally "big room"). The Obeya is a space where all the key stakeholders on a project – engineers, managers, planners – work together in close proximity. The room is visual, physical, and intentional. Everyone can see what’s happening. Everyone hears what’s being decided. No one is out of the loop.
Whether you set up a formal Obeya or simply commit to spending regular time together in the same place, you’ll notice an almost immediate increase in coordination, clarity, and energy. This will come from people talking to each other about what they are doing, and incidentally identifying differences in understanding to be corrected.

2. Use a Document of Absolute Truth
This isn’t some mythical or complicated concept – it’s a simple principle: everyone knows that no work is considered done until it’s recorded in one place.
This document – or digital repository – becomes the single source of truth for the team. It might be a master CAD model, a shared file tree, a wiki, or a visual project board. What matters is that everyone knows where it is, how to use it, and what it means.
When everyone refers to the same source, two things happen:

• Everyone has the same understanding of what the project needs to achieve.
• Everyone can see how their work affects, and is affected by, others.

These two things together make a core of shared situational awareness.

3. Schedule Regular Updates
Even with a shared room and a document of absolute truth, teams can still drift. People get absorbed in their own tasks. Decisions then get made in isolation. Then, eventually, you have conflicts within the team.
That’s why you need structured, regular updates. These aren’t just check-ins for the sake of it. They’re touchpoints that give everyone:

• A consistent, shared message
• A chance to ask clarifying questions
• A reset button on assumptions

It’s not enough to assume shared awareness will persist once achieved. It must be maintained. And that’s what the updates are for.

Final Thought: do you already do this or do you need it
Think now if you are someone who needs to put extra effort into ensuring shared situational awareness. Or maybe even needs someone else to do that for you because you always charge off working on your own tasks without thinking about others. Talk to my AI engineering coach Ingeny if you would like some ideas on how to deal with this.
Also, think about “documents of absolute truth” that you have come across. You might not have realised it at the time, but thinking back now, you can understand how they kept everyone on the same page. If you think of one, then share it in the comments – I like learning about techniques that people use.