Great leaders have excellent communication skills. However, being a good and effective communicator does not come instinctively. So here are some helpful tips to communicating as great leaders do. 

1. Win the hearts of people. A great leader gets personal. You not only want people to respect you, but to like you as well. It's alright to be humble or to depreciate yourself (but in a humurous manner), but be genuine. Tell stories that would help them get to know who you really are, and at the same time, convey your vision.

2. Adjust your leadership style to different people but not the message you want to bring across. Keep in mind that different people associate in different ways, so get to know people, whether they are clients, staff, investors, or the general public. Find out the personal interests of your employees, as well as the skills they use at work and talk about both. Know if a person prefers having a conversation in a formal meeting or in a quite casual setting.

3. Social media has greatly changed people's natural way of interacting with each other. Communication is crucial to developing any business or organisation, as well as a manager's career. Create ways for interaction by encouraging feedback during your presentation or meeting. Oftentimes, it's better to talk less and listen more, as this makes people feel important and valued.

For more effective communication approaches, consider professional and well-developed leadership training Melbourne. Visit the website of the Institue for Communication Management and Leadership to get more information regarding their comprehensive courses. 

Being an employee and managing people are two very different things, which require different duties and responsibilities. So once you are promoted to be the new manager, there are a lot of things you need to change in the way you see and approach things. Here are the top mistakes new managers should avoid:   

1. Not taking the time to develop relationships. As one progresses through his career, it's the quality of his professional relationships that has a much greater impact on his success. Focus on getting to know the members of your team to help you understand how you would be able to guarantee their success, as well as yours. 

3. Not discussing objectives and goals. Making sure that each one understands clearly and agrees on the priorities and goals of the team is very important. Do not assume that each of them is on the same page. Keep them informed of critical deadlines, priorities, goals, and how success should be measured. Discuss how all of these fit into the overall objective of the team and/or the company as a whole. Encourage feedback and questions to make sure misunderstandings (if any) are determined early. 

4. Not delegating. Not letting go of the tasks you used to do before you were promoted can become a challeng, particularly if you've been promoted internally. This may result in job frustration and dissatisfaction, and burnout on your part, as well as your team's. Delegating tasks will give you time to focus on and develop your new responsibilities. 

For effective people management strategies, sign up for ICML's well-developed leadership training courses in Melbourne. Visit their website to learn more: icml.com.au.      

How do you keep your people motivated if you cannot afford a raise? Contrary to what most people believe in, money isn't the best motivator, as it conveys the message that nothing is worth accomplishing unless you receive extra cash. This can make employees think they are entitled to it, creating a bottomless pit. And does not always increase job satisfaction. Here are some creative ways you can motivate your people without spending a single cent: 

• Encourage comments from clients and post praises in your company website, include it in your company newsletter, or post it on the team bulletin board.
• Invite an employee into your office simply to express your appreciation and gratitude for all that he does for the company, and discuss nothing else. 
• Send cards to the family members or spouse of your employees appreciating them for their support. 
• Write or send thank you cards or emails. 
• Greet them or give a gift during their birthday or anniversary. 
• Give the best parking spot for the employee of the month. Let the members of your staff decide how they will earn it.
• Write a note to the paycheck of an employee about something outstanding he did that month or week. 
• Help someone who's under much pressure. Ask what needs to be done and extend a hand in accomplishing the task. Make sure to work side-by-side.
• Provide helpful articles to your staff and add a note such as, "Saw this one and thought it may help."  
• Learn about their children, hobbies, even their pets etc., showing interest on what are important to them. 
• Ask a staff member who is specially good at something to train other employees or prepare a presentation during meeting.
• Give them a chance to learn new skills and work on exciting projects.
• Assign worthy tasks or projects, not only the menial one, to increse their feeling of pride and trust. 
• Send employees to trainings and seminars and have them present what they've learned during a staff meeting. 

Many organisational managers see reprimanding employees as something to avoid or be dreadful about. But is a worker is doing something that puts a team, project, relationships, or the whole company in jeopardy, the manager has to do and say something. Allowing the act to continue could hurt the organisation; the career, morale, and productivity of other employees; and the reputation of the manager. Below are the five rules for confronting a poor-performing employee: 

1. Do not confront in anger. Never let the situation become emotional. Before doing anything, it pays to check on your emotions. 

2. Do it immediately. Take as much time as you need in getting your emotions together, as as soon as you have done so, confront him without any delay. Delaying the confrontation results to increased angst around the notion of confronting bad or poor work performance. When you wait too long, the situation might spiral out of control. 

3. Confront the person in private. This does not mean you should proceed to your office and shut the door. It means that you're not supposed to do it in from of his peers. You do not have to make it a huge event. It can be done a bit casually, such as while walking down the hallway, or getting water from the dispenser. Oftentimes, summoning the employee to your office for a close-door conversation creates a tense atmosphere.

4. Be specific and factual. Use actual data and evidence to support your case, and always focus on the behaviour not on the person. Bringing impressions or hearsay into the conversation won't make your words completely valid and reliable. 

5. Be clear. Don't confuse the person by sugar-coating it or hiding the fact that it is actually a reprimand. Because most managers feel uneasy, they tend to end the conversation with "Overall, you are doing a truly good job!" Since people oftentimes choose to hear what they want to hear and leave out the rest, employees cling on to such statements and step out of the office thinking they were just given praise. So do not praise and confront at the same time.

For effective management tips and strategies, sign up for ICML's highly recommended management courses Melbourne. Visit their website to check out their scheduled sessions and programs: https://www.icml.com.au/. 

The Pomodoro Technique, though it sounds odd is actually an effective method to boost your productivity at work. It was conceptualized by Francesco Cirillo in 1992 when he was having a tough time juggling his studies at a university. He named the technique after his timer which is shaped like a tomato. "Pomodoro" is an Italian word which means "tomato." This explains the name of the technique. 

The Pomodoro Technique is a time chunking method inteded to improve one's time management. Its general concept is to set a timer for a certain chunk of time, which is 25 minutes. One pomodoro is equals to 25 minutes of uninterrupted and focused work on just one task . The person takes a break once the timer goes off.

The basic principle of this time management technique is that each pomodoro should not be broken down. For instance, you cannot work for half a pomodoro (12 1/2 minutes) and then proceeed after a while, or the next hour. The technique simply does not work that way. It is all or nothing. If something very urgent and important happens which prevents you from completing one pomodoro, cancel it and start over. 

A five-minute break comes after each pomodoro. The break's length can be extended, like when you are exhausted. But taking a break must not be too long. Otherwise, you will have a tougher time getting back into the rythym of your work. The breaktime after finishing four pomodoros is supposed to be 15 minutes. 

For smart time management skills and strategies, visit the website of ICML, a specialised, Melbourne-based organisation aimed to provide professional and effective management and leadership training courses: https://icml.com.au.