Why Association Executives Must Master Gen AI Idea Curation to Lead the Future
In the professional world, idea generation is often celebrated as a hallmark of creativity and innovation. Yet, for association executives, the less glamorous but equally vital skill of idea curation is poised to become the key differentiator in an era shaped by generative AI. As generative AI tools evolve to match—and even surpass—human capabilities in creative tasks, associations will need leaders who excel at selecting, refining, and championing the right ideas to serve their members and advance their missions effectively.
Generative AI has already proven its ability to produce creative output at scale. For instance, GPT-4 outperformed 91% of humans on a variation of the Alternative Uses Test and scored over 99% in the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. More advanced models, such as GPT-4o, are further pushing these boundaries. These tools can generate hundreds of ideas in minutes, providing a tidal wave of possibilities for associations seeking to stay relevant in a fast-changing landscape. However, this abundance of ideas brings its own challenge. How can association executives sift through this deluge to identify, shape, and implement the concepts that will deliver real value to their members?
The New Imperative: Master Gen AI Idea Curation for Association Success
For associations, the ability to curate ideas will be critical to navigating this new paradigm. The role of an idea curator is particularly relevant for executives tasked with ensuring their organizations remain indispensable to their members. Curators will be the ones who can translate AI-generated outputs into actionable strategies, meaningful programs, and impactful advocacy. This process involves three key steps: discerning promising ideas, refining those ideas for impact, and promoting them to stakeholders effectively.
1. Selecting the Best Ideas for Your Membership
Association executives are uniquely positioned to identify which AI-generated ideas will resonate with their membership and align with their organizational mission. This requires a deep understanding of your members’ evolving needs, market trends, and the regulatory or industry landscape. A skilled curator must filter through AI outputs to spot the most relevant and feasible concepts, balancing innovation with practicality.
2. Refining Ideas for Implementation
AI-generated ideas often emerge in raw form, requiring human insight to tailor them to specific contexts. For example, an AI might propose a novel member engagement initiative, but it will be up to the executive team to adapt the concept to fit the association’s unique culture and operational constraints. This refinement process ensures that ideas are not just creative but also actionable and impactful, allowing associations to maintain their credibility and trust with members.
3. Promoting and Gaining Buy-In for New Initiatives
The success of any new initiative hinges on securing buy-in from key stakeholders, including board members, staff, and the broader membership. Association executives must be adept at crafting compelling narratives around curated ideas, using AI-generated materials like visual aids and reports to bolster their cases. Effective communication and persuasion skills will be essential to align stakeholders behind new programs or policy initiatives.
Managing AI Hallucinations in an Association Context
One of the unique challenges generative AI brings is its tendency to “hallucinate” or produce misleading information. While this is less problematic during the brainstorming phase, it underscores the importance of human oversight in the curation process.
Association executives must critically evaluate AI outputs to identify inaccuracies or inconsistencies, ensuring that curated ideas are grounded in reality and align with the organization’s mission and values, while managing risks. This diligence will not only enhance the quality of initiatives but also build trust in AI as a tool for innovation.
Preparing Association Leaders to Master Gen AI Idea Curation
To stay competitive in this evolving landscape, associations must prioritize developing the skills and infrastructure needed for effective idea curation. This involves fostering a culture that values curation alongside creation, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking, industry knowledge, and member-centric decision-making. Training programs should focus on equipping executives and staff with the ability to use AI tools proficiently and understand their limitations.
Moreover, staying abreast of technological advancements will be vital. Associations that invest in cutting-edge generative AI tools and integrate them into their workflows will be better positioned to leverage their capabilities. For example, an AI-driven member feedback analysis tool could provide insights that guide the selection and refinement of ideas, ensuring initiatives are tailored to actual member needs.
Embracing the Shift to Lead Associations into the Future
The rise of generative AI is reshaping how associations approach creativity and innovation. As AI takes on the heavy lifting of idea generation, the value for association executives will lie in their ability to curate ideas—discerning the most impactful concepts, refining them to meet their organization’s goals, and promoting them effectively. By mastering these skills, association leaders can ensure their organizations remain dynamic and indispensable in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Embracing the shift toward idea curation will not only help associations thrive but also position them as thought leaders in their industries, capable of navigating complex challenges and capitalizing on emerging opportunities. In this new era, the true innovators will be those who recognize the transformative potential of AI and adapt their strategies to harness its power for the benefit of their members and their missions.
Key Take-Away
Master Gen AI by shifting from idea generation to idea curation. As AI produces creative outputs at scale, association executives must refine, select, and champion the best ideas to drive impact. Share on XImage credit: Alena Darmel/pexels
Dr. Gleb Tsipursky was named “Office Whisperer” by The New York Times for helping leaders overcome frustrations with hybrid work and Generative AI. He serves as the CEO of the future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts. Dr. Gleb wrote seven best-selling books, and his two most recent ones are Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams and ChatGPT for Thought Leaders and Content Creators: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI for Innovative and Effective Content Creation. His cutting-edge thought leadership was featured in over 650 articles and 550 interviews in Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine, USA Today, CBS News, Fox News, Time, Business Insider, Fortune, The New York Times, and elsewhere. His writing was translated into Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Korean, French, Vietnamese, German, and other languages. His expertise comes from over 20 years of consulting, coaching, and speaking and training for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox. It also comes from over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist, with 8 years as a lecturer at UNC-Chapel Hill and 7 years as a professor at Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio.