What Really Motivates Association Boards: Insights for AI Adoption

The Human Side of Board Decisions

Association boards consist of individuals with distinct backgrounds, priorities, and perspectives. When approaching your board about AI adoption, success depends on understanding what drives each member.

People join boards for various reasons. Many volunteer because they care deeply about advancing their profession. Others view board service as a strategic career move that increases visibility and connections with influential peers. Those in leadership positions, particularly board chairs, often want to leave a meaningful legacy during their term.

These motivations significantly impact how you should frame AI initiatives. A proposal addressing how AI can advance the profession will resonate with service-driven members. For those focused on career advancement, emphasizing how your association could become an industry leader through AI adoption may prove compelling. The key is taking time to understand what drives your specific board members, then tailoring your approach to address their individual priorities and concerns.

Beyond individual motivations, successful AI adoption also requires navigating board-staff perspective differences, creating compelling demonstrations, and committing to ongoing education. Understanding these decision drivers transforms AI from a point of confusion into a strategic opportunity your board champions.

The External-Internal Divide

A fundamental tension exists between association staff and boards: their directional focus.

Association boards primarily function as representatives of the broader membership and profession. Their conversations naturally gravitate toward external challenges facing members in their day-to-day professional lives, emerging industry trends, and how the association can better serve its constituency. Board members typically spend their workweeks immersed in the profession itself rather than association management, shaping their worldview accordingly.

Meanwhile, association executives and staff necessarily focus much of their attention internally. They manage operational realities, implement programs, address immediate organizational needs, and put out daily fires. Their conversations center on improving internal systems, staff capabilities, and organizational efficiency.

This divergence creates a particular tension when discussing AI investments. If you're struggling to get board approval for AI initiatives, consider starting with member-facing applications rather than internal operations. When boards see direct benefits to the members they represent, they may be more willing to get on board with AI. 

For example, instead of beginning with an AI project to streamline your content management workflow, perhaps start with a member-facing application like AI-enhanced personalized learning or an AI tool that helps members solve common professional challenges. These external applications speak directly to what board members care about most—serving the profession.

This doesn't mean ignoring operational needs—those remain essential. But strategically, your first AI pilot project should demonstrate direct member value if your board remains skeptical. Once they see AI successfully enhancing member experiences, they'll likely become more receptive to internal applications that ultimately support those experiences.

Where Boards Stand on AI Today

The conversation in boardrooms has shifted dramatically in the past year. At Sidecar, we've seen that many association boards no longer actively resist AI. They recognize that it exists and matters. The challenge has moved from convincing boards that AI is here to stay to helping them prioritize it appropriately.

Look for these telltale signs that your board understands AI's importance but hasn't committed to action:

• Reluctance to allocate reserve funds for AI experiments
• Maintaining restrictive approval processes that slow innovation
• Acknowledging AI's importance verbally while ranking it below traditional priorities

Your board's financial reserves serve two purposes: protecting the organization from hardship and investing in transformative opportunities. AI clearly represents the latter. Help your board see that this technology shift justifies precisely the kind of strategic investment reserves were established to fund.

Making AI Real Through Targeted Demonstrations

Abstract discussions about technological potential rarely move boards to action. Successful AI proposals connect directly to board members' professional reality.

Start by studying the professional backgrounds and day-to-day challenges of influential board members. What frustrations do they face in their work? Which problems consume their time or create friction with clients?

Then show them AI solving these exact problems. If your board includes physicians who struggle with diverse patient populations, demonstrate AI translation tools that improve communication. For attorneys drowning in document review, show how AI can extract key insights from legal texts. These personalized demonstrations create emotional connections far more powerful than theoretical discussions.

Remember that even highly educated, technical professionals often lack awareness of current AI capabilities outside their specific domain. Don't assume doctors, engineers, attorneys, or scientists automatically understand what today's AI tools can do simply because of their credentials. Even board members with PhDs or technical backgrounds may be unfamiliar with practical applications relevant to your association.

This presents an opportunity for association executives: you can lead meaningful AI discussions regardless of your board's technical expertise. By showcasing tangible applications that solve real problems in their professional lives, you'll create those light bulb moments that transform theoretical understanding into enthusiastic support.

Becoming Chief Repetition Officer

Securing meaningful board engagement around AI requires persistence. One presentation, no matter how compelling, rarely drives significant organizational change. Instead, view this as an ongoing educational journey with multiple touchpoints.

Begin with pure education—no requests attached. Perhaps bring in external experts to provide context about AI's broader impact on your industry. Follow with discussions about potential implications before presenting specific proposals for action.

Between formal meetings, maintain momentum through individual outreach, sharing relevant articles, and providing updates on AI developments affecting your field. Position yourself as the board's trusted guide through this technological shift rather than someone pushing for immediate decisions.

When initial small projects succeed, document their impact thoroughly and share results widely. Success stories become powerful tools for advocating more ambitious initiatives.

From Understanding to Action

Start with individual board members rather than treating them as a monolithic entity. Before crafting your AI strategy, invest time understanding your specific board:

• Which members speak most during meetings, and what topics energize them?
• Who do other members look to before forming opinions?
• What professional challenges absorb board members' attention?
• Which individuals must support an initiative for it to succeed?

When presenting AI opportunities, relentlessly focus on problems your board members personally understand and care about. Make technology tangible through demonstrations rather than abstract discussions.

Begin with small, member-facing projects likely to succeed quickly. Document these successes meticulously to build credibility and momentum for more ambitious initiatives.

Most importantly, maintain unwavering persistence. The associations making the most progress with AI have champions who continue educating and advocating through multiple board cycles, gradually building understanding and support for transformative initiatives.