Commitment
It sucks when people say they’ll do things and don’t. Generally people do this because they overestimate how much time they really have. In fact, someone who does a small amount of work reliably is more useful to a group than someone who commits to too much and then falls through. So how can you get people to commit reliably?

• Be honest and open about how much you are asking for. If you are committing to something be straightforward about how much time you are willing to give.
• Sign people up with their name, phone number and email. Remind them at the end of the meeting what they’ve committed to.
• Organizers and coordinators should make themselves available and accessible. They should check up on people gently but not guilt-trip them. If people feel comfortable enough to say, “Hey, I don’t have as much time as I thought I would,” you won’t get any nasty surprises. Make it easy for them to do whatever they can.
• When large numbers of people are working independently on something (i.e. doing outreach to schools, approaching small businesses or groups, working on separate projects, etc.) it’s nice to have a “buddy system.” This way, people pair up with friends or other peoples who live close to them. They can talk to each other every couple days and say, “So how’s it going?” to motivate each other. Play with things like this to help motivate people.
• Finally, remember that the more specific the task is, the easier it is to get people to do it. If you tell them the bus leaves at six, they’ll go. If you tell them there might be a bus but you’re not sure yet, and they should call so-and-so if they’re interested, a lot of good people won’t get around to it. If things are really up in the air, sign people up and get back to them with the information later.