Communicate. Engage. 

Simple words that are hard to do well.

Here are three great resources that have helped me communicate to and engage with my tribe more effectively:

• The Art of Explanation by Lee LeFever. A book on how to explain? I thought I was decent at explaining concepts until I read this book. And then I realized how much I didn't know.  LeFever lays out a simple, elegant methodology for making sure you bring your audience along when conveying ideas, especially if you suffer from the "curse of knowledge".  After reading the book, I was able to explain this methodology to a coaching client over the phone in a matter of minutes and help her apply it on the spot to her situation–a testament to how clearly written this book is. Photo by Jeff the Trojan

• 7 Tips to Beautiful Powerpoint by Eugene Cheng. Not all PowerPoint is bad. This slideshare presentation is a great resource for understanding how to use slides in a visually engaging way. It encapsulates ideas from several books I've read on designing presentations:
  7 Tips to Beautiful PowerPoint by @itseugenec from Eugene Cheng

  Notice how the presentation itself is an example of what to do (while pointing out what not to do!) I especially like the references to tools that can help you implement the ideas (e.g., sites to grab free fonts, get ideas on color schemes and download photos).

• Gamify to Tighten Up Relationships and Create a Close-Knit Highly Engaged Tribe.  It's a mouthful, isn't in? In this winning blog post from a contest on "Awesome Engagement Strategies", you'll get an inside peek at how engagement is not just driven by value, but by fun.  Yep, people like to have fun.  It's a good reminder for me, because I can easily forget to have fun. Make sure you take time not only to read the post, but the many comments that provide the nuances around human behavior, fun, and engagement. 

If you're like me, you love new ideas.  And let me be the first to say: Ideas without action are a waste. 

So take one new idea and try it out. Today. You don't have time to waste. And neither do I.