The last blog I wrote talked about the value of communication - that it is the key - so, naturally, the next thing I must write about are other imperatives in a relationship: commitment and accountability. Specifically, I am talking about my commitment and accountability to you. Why? Well, let me explain...

I have this shiny new soapbox for providing a voice to clients and others involved/interested in changing the face of HR and their organization. I do not have a personal blog, and I have never kept a journal. I tend to live in the moment, so I don't take much time to reminisce nor do I worry about telling others about what I am busy doing - hence my struggle to get into Twitter for more than learning what articles and blogs others are reading, but that is a topic for another day.

With that in mind I turned to a few bloggers I know and asked why it was so easy for them to churn out blog posts. The most frequent and most important reason: commitment from the start. Many of them credit their blogging consistency to a commitment they made at the beginning to post at a certain interval or update so many times the first month. By the time the commitment was done, a rhythm was found.

Of course, as many New Year's resolution-ists discover around March or April, a commitment to yourself goes only as far as you really want to carry it. Right now, I make this commitment to you, not just myself: I will post 12 more blogs in the month of May. Today is May 7, which leaves 16 weekdays in May, so 12 gives me 1 mulligan each week and rest on the weekends. This is where the accountability comes in, because now you know my commitment - and you know where I am (the TWI phone number is on our home page and address is below).

I ask you to keep me accountable to posting 12 times by the end of May. I ask you to keep me accountable to writing interesting, relevant, and meaningful posts. Not every post will fit all criteria, but if this post isn't funny then the next will be, and if that one isn't inspiring then wait for the one after that and we will get there. Feedback and topic suggestions are welcome in the comments below, the community forum on the left side of the page, or over the phone.

My parting thoughts for today:

1. Another inspiration for the blog topic of commitment was Bob's blog on the Employee Free Choice Act. He gives a great call to commitment and action at the end. At the same time, these commitments and actions should not be limited to a worried response to EFCA. These are the acts of responsible organizations and great employers.

2. Go to the community forums and tell us what you are working on, to what you are committing. Let us - your peers and The Work Institute - know what we can do to help get you there or hold you accountable along the way.