How AI Fixed Our Production Meetings

Turning chaos into clarity with one simple workflow

The Problem: Too Many Projects, Not Enough Brain Space

I used to think I was organized. Then I’d hit that moment every business owner knows—the client call asking,

“Hey, what’s the status of Project X?”

And my mind would go blank.

Who’s on it? When’s it due? Why isn’t it showing up in our system?

We had meeting notes in notebooks, to-dos in Notion, random updates in Slack threads. Everyone meant well, but things still got lost.

That’s when I realized the real problem wasn’t the people—it was the process.

The Turning Point

We rebuilt our production meetings from scratch.

The goal: keep every project visible, every person accountable, and every conversation actionable.

The format was simple:

1. Top Current Projects & Timelines

2. New Projects

3. Status Updates

4. Blockers (“What’s keeping you from doing your job?”)

5. Wrap & Review

That structure helped. But we were still losing time on note-taking, follow-ups, and trying to remember what we decided last week.

Then we added AI.

The Workflow That Changed Everything

Step 1: Record the Meeting

We don’t take notes anymore. We record everything.

• In-person? An iPhone with Apple Voice Memo in the middle of the table.

• Remote? The built-in Zoom or Teams recording works fine.

The key is to capture the entire discussion, not just bullet points. Tone, hesitation, quick side comments—they all matter later when AI interprets intent.

Step 2: Get the Transcript

Apple Voice Memo automatically generates a transcript. It’s quick, accurate enough, and doesn’t cost a thing.

For video calls, Zoom’s built-in transcription works too.

Step 3: Summarize with AI

This is the magic moment. We copy the transcript into ChatGPT and use this exact prompt:

“Summarize this meeting into a project list with owners, deadlines, blockers, and next steps. Highlight anything that changed during the conversation.”

Within seconds, we get a clean summary that lists:

• Who’s responsible for what

• Updated deadlines and shifting priorities

• Blockers that need attention

• Tasks ready to move forward

It’s like having a project manager who doesn’t miss a thing.

Step 4: Distribute and Lock It In

We email the summary to the team right after the meeting. Everyone has until lunch to make edits.

After that, it’s locked in until the next meeting. No more “I thought someone else had it.”

Step 5: Set the Rhythm

Our team meets weekly, but you can scale it.

If you’re handling fast-moving client work, try short daily check-ins. For slower-paced projects, every other week might be fine.

The important part is consistency. Once the rhythm sets in, everyone starts thinking ahead instead of catching up.

Why It Works

This workflow does three things really well:

1. Keeps focus on the conversation, not the notes. You can listen and think instead of scribbling.

2. Creates automatic accountability. The AI summary becomes the record of truth.

3. Saves mental space. Once tasks are assigned and documented, they stop living rent-free in your head.

And yes, it’s simple. That’s the point.

Prompt of the Week

Copy this into ChatGPT right after your next meeting:

“Summarize this meeting into a project list with owners, deadlines, blockers, and next steps. Highlight anything that changed during the conversation.”

You’ll be shocked how much clarity it gives you in under a minute.

The Takeaway

AI didn’t make our meetings shorter—it made them smarter. We spend less time managing chaos and more time actually doing the work.

If your meetings feel scattered, try this once. Record. Transcribe. Summarize. Then decide if you ever want to go back.