Human Synergy Is the Gen AI Secret Weapon for Associations

The integration of Generative AI (Gen AI) is rapidly transforming how associations operate, offering unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency. However, the true potential of Gen AI can only be unlocked—and its challenges can only be overcome—through a culture of collaboration and shared success. For associations, a truly impactful Gen AI strategy requires a collaborative ecosystem where staff, volunteer leaders, members, and even chapter leaders work together to harness the technology’s potential.

This collaborative approach accelerates adoption, breaks down organizational silos (both internally and across chapters and sections), and ensures that Gen AI is strategically aligned with the association’s mission and goals. When diverse stakeholders within an association collaborate on Gen AI initiatives, they create a sense of unity, foster innovation, and drive member value. Collaboration encourages knowledge-sharing, helps manage risks, and ensures that Gen AI tools are applied comprehensively to meet the association’s strategic goals.

Unlocking the Gen AI Secret Weapon of Collaboration

1. Cross-Functional Teams: Forming teams that include staff from various departments (e.g., membership, events, education, advocacy, communications) as well as volunteer leaders from the board, committees, sections, and chapters is crucial. These teams bring together diverse perspectives and expertise, ensuring Gen AI solutions are relevant to the entire association ecosystem. For example, a team composed of staff, chapter leaders, and section representatives could collaborate on developing a Gen AI-driven tool for personalized member engagement, resulting in more impactful and member-centric applications.
2. Regular Forums, Workshops, and Chapter Leader Training: Create platforms for regular interaction and knowledge sharing. This could include:
   • Association-Wide Initiatives: Lunch-and-learn sessions, hackathons, or dedicated “Gen AI Innovation Days” open to staff and volunteer leaders.
   • Chapter Leader Focus: Integrating Gen AI training into existing chapter leadership development programs to ensure consistent implementation across the association.
   • Section Engagement: Tailoring Gen AI workshops to address the unique needs and interests of different member demographics represented in sections. These forums and training sessions provide opportunities for experimentation, learning from successes and failures, and cross-pollination of ideas.
3. Mentorship Programs: Pairing staff or volunteer leaders experienced in Gen AI with those new to the technology accelerates knowledge transfer. A tech-savvy chapter leader could mentor a staff member on leveraging Gen AI for event planning, providing practical guidance. Mentorship fosters continuous learning, builds relationships across the association, and spreads Gen AI knowledge broadly.
4. Robust Internal Communication and Knowledge Sharing: Establish a strong internal communication network specifically for Gen AI. Dedicated intranet pages, Slack channels, or other digital platforms can serve as central hubs for Gen AI-related discussions. This enables staff, volunteer leaders, chapter representatives, and even engaged members to connect, share best practices, and collaborate. This communication network directly supports both idea submission and recognition efforts.
5. Sharing Success Stories Across the Association: Publicize successful Gen AI projects through internal newsletters, chapter communications, conference presentations, and the association’s website. Showcasing how teamwork—especially between staff and chapters or sections—leads to meaningful outcomes inspires others to explore similar opportunities. Highlight the impact on member value and engagement.
6. Targeted Recognition Programs: Implement recognition programs that specifically focus on teamwork and collaboration in Gen AI projects. An “Association Gen AI Collaboration Award” could recognize cross-functional and cross-chapter teams. This reinforces a culture of shared success and provides a model for others to emulate.
7. Documenting and Sharing Best Practices: Create a repository of case studies or internal white papers based on successful Gen AI projects. These documents should detail the project’s goals, the collaborative process (including roles of staff, chapters, and sections), the Gen AI tools used, and the outcomes. This creates a valuable resource for the entire association.
8. Cultivating a Psychologically Safe Environment for Experimentation: Foster a culture where experimentation and open communication are encouraged at all levels of the association. Staff, volunteer leaders, and chapter representatives should feel comfortable sharing results, discussing challenges, and learning from both successes and failures without fear of criticism. This is especially important for associations where risk aversion might be prevalent.

Client Case Study: Transforming an Association with Gen AI Collaboration

Consider a mid-sized association serving marketing professionals. The association has a national office with just under 50 staff members, dozens of chapters each with its own volunteer leadership board, and five sections focused on specific member demographics. The association faced challenges in engaging members effectively, providing personalized experiences, and ensuring support for volunteers. While some staff members and chapter leaders were experimenting with Gen AI tools, these efforts were fragmented and lacked a cohesive strategy.

As a consultant, I worked with the association over six months to implement a collaborative approach to Gen AI integration. We began by conducting a needs assessment through surveys and focus groups involving staff, board members, chapter leaders, and section representatives, identifying pain points and opportunities. Based on this, we formed a cross-functional and cross-chapter “Gen AI Task Force,” consisting of:

• The association’s President
• Two department heads (Membership and Education)
• Two chapter presidents from different regions and one section leader who already used Gen AI tools effectively
• The association’s IT manager

This diverse group ensured that various perspectives within the association were represented.

The task force’s initial task was to identify key areas where Gen AI could provide the most significant impact. After conducting workshops and surveys across the association, they prioritized two areas:

1. Personalized Member Engagement: The association wanted to move beyond generic communications and provide tailored content, resources, and event recommendations to individual members based on their interests, demographics, and engagement history.
2. Streamlining Chapter Operations: Chapter leaders were spending significant time on administrative tasks, hindering their ability to focus on member engagement and program development.

The task force decided to focus on implementing two specific Gen AI solutions, developed collaboratively:

1. Gen AI-Powered Member Engagement Platform: This platform, developed with input from staff, chapter leaders, and section representatives, was trained on member data, including demographics, interests, event attendance, and website activity. It could automatically segment members, recommend relevant content and events, and personalize communications. The sections provided valuable input on tailoring the platform to the specific needs of their respective demographics.
2. Gen AI-Driven Chapter Management Toolkit: This toolkit, designed with extensive feedback from chapter leaders, leveraged Gen AI to automate tasks such as membership renewals, event registration, and communication with chapter members. It also provided chapter leaders with data-driven insights into member engagement and chapter performance.

To ensure successful implementation, we focused on fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing:

• Training and Workshops: We conducted comprehensive training sessions for staff and chapter leaders on how to use the new Gen AI tools. These sessions emphasized hands-on practice and included specific modules for different roles (e.g., chapter treasurers, membership chairs).
• Mentorship Program: We established a mentorship program pairing tech-savvy chapter leaders and staff with those less familiar with Gen AI. This peer-to-peer support system facilitated knowledge transfer and encouraged adoption across the association.
• Internal Communication Platform: We created a dedicated Slack channel for Gen AI-related discussions, allowing staff, chapter leaders, and section representatives to share tips, ask questions, and collaborate on using the new tools.
• Pilot Projects and Feedback Loops: We launched pilot projects in several chapters, allowing them to test the Gen AI tools in real-world scenarios. We established regular feedback loops to gather input from chapter leaders and members, making necessary adjustments to the tools and training materials.

After six months of implementation, the association saw significant positive outcomes:

• Increased Member Engagement: The Gen AI-powered member engagement platform led to a more than 25% increase in member engagement, as measured by event attendance, content downloads, and website activity.
• Improved Chapter Efficiency: The Gen AI-driven chapter management toolkit reduced the time chapter leaders spent on administrative tasks by 34%, freeing them to focus on member engagement and program development.
• Enhanced Member Satisfaction: Surveys conducted after the implementation showed a nearly 30% increase in member satisfaction, with many members reporting that they felt the association was better meeting their individual needs.
• Stronger Collaboration: The project fostered a stronger sense of collaboration between the national office, chapters, and sections. Chapter leaders felt more empowered and engaged, and there was increased communication and knowledge sharing across the association.
• Industry Leadership: The association gained recognition within its industry for its innovative use of Gen AI, attracting new members and positioning itself as a forward-thinking organization, boosting recruitment by 18%.

The collaborative approach to Gen AI implementation was crucial to the association’s success. By involving staff, chapter leaders, and section representatives at every stage, fostering open communication, and providing ongoing training and support, we were able to overcome initial resistance to change and create a culture of shared ownership and adoption of Gen AI technologies.

Conclusion

For associations, promoting a culture of collaboration and shared success is paramount for maximizing the impact of Gen AI initiatives. By implementing the strategies outlined above, association leaders can create an environment where Gen AI thrives, driving innovation, efficiency, and member value. This holistic approach—involving staff, volunteer leaders, chapters, and sections—not only accelerates the adoption and effective use of Gen AI but also builds a more connected, innovative, and future-ready association that serves as a model for its industry.

Key Take-Away

The Gen AI secret isn’t technology. It’s collaboration. Cross-functional teams, shared learning, and open experimentation turn Gen AI into real impact for members, chapters, and the whole association. Share on X

Image credit: Antoni Shkraba Studio/pexels

---

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky was named “Office Whisperer” by The New York Times for helping leaders overcome frustrations with 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 Leaders and Content Creators: Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI. 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.