I hear a version of this question often: “Where can we use AI?” It is a reasonable question, but I would start one step earlier: “Why do we do the work this way?” 

Consider a membership renewal process that involves a spreadsheet, three email approvals, and a manual transfer between systems. AI might help write a reminder or summarize the spreadsheet. That could save time. It would not answer why the process has so many handoffs, or whether members should be asked for the same information again. 

An association can automate yesterday’s work and still be stuck with yesterday’s organization. 

Start with a real workflow, preferably one that frustrates staff or members. Follow it from the first request to the final outcome. Ask who needs the result, where the delays occur, which decisions require a person, and which steps exist only because two systems or teams do not connect. Then design the workflow you want. After that, choose where AI helps. 

This approach also makes change easier to lead. Staff are more likely to engage when the conversation begins with their daily reality and the value they are trying to create. They can see the purpose behind a new tool and help identify what it should never be asked to decide alone. 

Bring the people who handle the exceptions into the conversation. They know which requests do not fit the standard path, what members misunderstand, and where a quick automated response could cause more work later. Their knowledge helps you decide when AI should draft, summarize, or route information and when a staff member needs to apply judgment. If you skip those details, a promising pilot can look efficient on paper while quietly shifting the burden to someone else. 

Set a baseline before you change anything. How long does the process take now? How often does a member have to follow up? How much staff time goes to correcting errors? Test the redesigned workflow with a small group and compare the experience. A few honest measures will tell you more than a presentation full of AI possibilities. 

The goal is better service, stronger judgment, and room for people to spend time on the work only people can do. 

Try this with your team: Pick one recurring task. Ask each person involved to name one step they would remove if they were building the process from scratch. 

If you want to move from AI experiments to an organizational roadmap, explore the .orgSource AI Accelerator Mastermind: https://orgsource.com/ai-accelerator/