The High Cost of "Winging It" in Project Meetings
How better meeting minutes can save you six figures, build trust, and keep your projects on track.
👋 Hey, Kyle here! Welcome to The Influential Project Manager, a weekly newsletter covering the essentials of successful project leadership.
Today’s Overview:
Harsh truth: Your next six-figure dispute isn't hiding in your contracts – it's buried in your meeting minutes.
Meeting minutes are a written record of what happened during a meeting, including decisions made, key points discussed, and action items. They’re critical for telling the story about what’s going on with your project.
Most project leaders underestimate the value of effective meeting minutes. Here’s the system that has saved me—and my team—from countless headaches.
🎯 Automatic meeting minutes for architecture and construction projects - AI will help!
✅ Automatically draft minutes and action items from meetings to save hours every week.
✅ Summarize online and in-person meetings (e.g., on the job site) and export minutes directly into your template.
✅ Write progress reports or track key information like change orders across multiple past meetings.
✅ Cogram is secure. It’s SOC 2 Type II-certified, GDPR-compliant, and stores no audio or video recordings.
👉 Book a live demo (7-day free trial included).
💸 The High Cost of "Winging It" in Project Meetings
Filed under: Project Management
Harsh truth: Your next six-figure dispute isn't hiding in your contracts – it's buried in your meeting minutes.
I was recently talking a Sr. Project Manager at an ENR Top 400 construction firm. I asked him what would really help his teams in the context of their projects.
His answer caught me off guard: better meeting documentation.
At first, I didn’t take it seriously. But after thinking about it—and looking at the numbers—I realized he was right.
According to industry data, 32% of all construction disputes involve poor meeting documentation, with an average resolution cost of $107,000.
The High Cost of Poor Meeting Minutes
In construction, relying on memory is a gamble you can’t afford to take.
Without clear meeting documentation, even small misunderstandings can snowball into massive problems:
Disputes erupt because no one can agree on what was decided.
Scope creep sneaks in from undocumented change requests.
Teams waste hours trying to piece together old decisions.
Client trust erodes when action items fall through the cracks.
And worst of all? Your reputation takes the hit.
I’ve seen firsthand how projects fall apart because of something as simple as unclear notes.
In an industry where margins are razor-thin, that’s a risk you can’t afford.
What Happens When You Get It Right
Great project records serve as your insurance policy.
When meeting documentation is effective:
Your team stays aligned, focused, and on track.
Disputes resolve quickly because you have a clear paper trail.
Client trust deepens as nothing slips through the cracks.
You save time, money, and your reputation by avoiding costly mistakes.
As construction attorney Joseph Devereux put it:
“In any construction dispute, the party with contemporaneous and complete records always has a leg up on the party who didn’t make documenting its work a priority.”
Documentation isn’t busywork. It’s a competitive advantage.
How to Write Meeting Minutes That Actually Work
Most project leaders underestimate the power of effective meeting minutes.
Here’s the system that has saved me—and my team—from countless headaches:
1. Prepare with Precision
Every meeting starts before it begins.
Define the outcome you set to achieve in the meeting.
Use a template pre-filled with participant names, roles, and a simple agenda.
Adjust the agenda ahead of time to align with the meeting’s objectives.
Think through potential discussion points and key decisions to structure your notes.
A strong pre-meeting setup ensures you’re ready to focus on the content, not scrambling to organize during the call.
2. Capture Notes in Real-Time
Don’t wait—document as the discussion happens.
Type directly into your template as you lead or participate in the meeting.
Structure notes in blocks that mirror the agenda to keep everything organized.
Highlight action items, decisions, and critical follow-ups as they’re discussed.
Pro tip: Use shorthand for speed but circle back to add clarity later. Momentum is key.
3. Confirm Agreements Out Loud
Clarity starts in the room.
Summarize every decision out loud as it’s made:
What was agreed?
What’s next?
Who owns it?
Inform participants that these takeaways are being documented in real-time.
Clear, immediate confirmation reduces ambiguity and ensures alignment before the meeting ends.
4. Provide Context, Not Just Keywords
Your notes must tell a story, not just recite bullet points.
Avoid cryptic one-liners or vague abbreviations.
Keep your audience in mind when summarizing the notes. It is worth to describe what really happened, which points were raised and what was the full conclusion.
What was discussed?
Why was the decision made?
What’s the expected outcome?
Short, context-free notes are useless when revisited weeks later. Capture the “why” behind the “what.”
5. Send a Clear Executive Summary
Distill the key takeaways for busy stakeholders.
In your distribution email:
Write a brief summary of the meeting’s main agreements and action items.
Highlight high-priority tasks and deadlines.
Include the full meeting minutes as an attachment for those who want the details.
Pro tip: A clear summary saves time and ensures everyone stays aligned—without wading through walls of text.
6. Automate When Possible
Technology is your secret weapon.
Manual documentation works, but AI tools like Cogram take meeting minutes to the next level.
Automatically transcribe virtual, hybrid, or in-person meetings. Action items, decisions, and responsibilities.
Generate structured minutes directly in your template format.
Use the app to add photos during on-site meetings and include them in your minutes.
If interested, book a demo (prepare to be amazed).
Why automate? Even with careful attention, it can be challenging to lead and document all the relevant details. That’s especially true for larger projects and complex discussions.
It saves hours, eliminates human error, and lets you focus on leading—not scribbling.
Why This System Works
Clear documentation builds trust with your team and stakeholders.
It shows your team, stakeholders, and clients that nothing is left to chance.
With precise, actionable meeting minutes:
Disputes get resolved faster.
Teams stay aligned and productive.
Client relationships grow stronger.
Your reputation as a leader soars.
Ultimate Takeaway: Great meeting documentation is your leadership multiplier.
🧰 Kyle’s Toolbox
Back in 2019, I learned this the hard way.
I was managing a $15.3M renovation project and thought I could keep everything in my head. A client verbally approved a design change in a meeting—but later denied it.
Without the paper trail, we were forced to absorb a $47,000 change order.
That’s when I realized: Documentation isn’t optional.
Today, I use Cogram, an AI built for project leaders who refuse to leave things to chance.
Here’s what it does:
Captures meeting minutes automatically—so you don’t miss a thing.
Tracks action items in real-time—so everyone knows exactly what’s next.
Creates professional reports effortlessly—so you can focus on leading, not formatting.
Your success as a project leader depends on one thing: alignment.
When your team knows what’s expected and your clients trust your process, everything clicks.
Stop relying on memory. Start building on rock-solid documentation.
Your future self will thank you.
Until next week,
Kyle Nitchen
Whenever you're ready, there are 5 ways I can help you:
Get my first book! No Bullsh*t Project: A Project Manager’s Guide to Successful Project Leadership
Upgrade your PM software. Experience the future operating system for construction and real estate development.
Get my full toolbox (free). Access 30+ software and hardware tools I'm using today.
Learn Takt Planning. Elevate your skills as a scheduler, planner, and lean builder with the Takt Planning & Control online course. Use code "Influentialpmtakt" for 30% off.
Advertise in my newsletter. Put your brand in front of 4,750+ construction project managers, leaders, and execs. (Booked out 5 weeks)
@kyle, This discipline has saved me on more than one occasion. Excellent advice.