By Tim Hayes In the late 1970s, things were pretty rough.  Double-digit inflation, mortgage rates at 18% or higher, long lines where you could only buy gasoline on odd-numbered dates if your license plate ended in an odd number, and vice versa. From the perspective of a 51-year-old father of three today, it’s remarkable and downright admirable […]

  By Tim Hayes As Hurricane Isaac tore across southern Louisiana this week, the news reports carried the anticipated results – entire communities under water, innumerable homes evacuated, loss of electricity for hundreds of thousands. We don’t get many hurricanes in my western Pennsylvania neighborhood, thank goodness, but the power still goes out fairly regularly […]

  By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com It doesn’t matter whether you’re famous or not, if you ask me.  As long as you work your head off to constantly perform at your best, remain humble about it, and are ever willing to share your talent on other people’s behalf. A few names come to mind who […]

By Tim Hayes The magical pennant run now being waged by my beloved Pittsburgh Pirates, 20 years in coming, got me thinking about something that happened more than 40 years ago, when the Bucs won it all in 1971. Ten years old and a dyed-in-the-wool Pirates fan, I knew they were gonna go all the […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com Two experiences over the past week reminded me that when something is done well, with superior talent performing at its absolute peak, the resulting benefits can last for decades, even centuries. The first came as my wife and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary.  Family events dictated that our original […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com “Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow.” ~Reed Markham Doesn’t it strike you as strange how some men have such an odd relationship with their fathers?  Like when a father never gives his wholehearted endorsement of […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com Among the back pages of a magazine many years ago, shortly after the end of the Vietnam War, a small ad caught my eye: “P.O.W. Bracelets Available.  Let them know you haven’t forgotten them.” For a nominal fee, I sent in the form and a few weeks later, received my […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com In the 1970s, on Pittsburgh’s Channel 4, a 30-minute cultural touchstone was beamed into homes every evening at 7 p.m.  Its name?  “Bowling for Dollars.” Hosted by local legend Nick Perry – who later served time in prison for masterminding the infamous “6-6-6” Pennsylvania Lottery fix – “Bowling for Dollars” […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com It’s no secret that people like lists.  David Letterman has been making a living off of his Top Ten list for 30 years.  Speechwriters know that if a presentation has a lively list, people can remember the information more accurately and for longer stretches of time. But some lists are […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com Fair warning!  Feeling a little cranky, gang, so here’s my question.  It’s a simple question, I believe, borne of years spent in silent frustration. Would it kill them to put more tables and chairs in Starbucks? Every time I’m in one of those chic, trendy coffeehouses to meet a client […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com  www.totalprotraining.com Somewhere across Denmark, 300 Danes are still fuming. Seems the Danish state lottery made a slight boo-boo this week, wherein 300 winners of the “Keno” game received official letters informing them that they each had won 28 billion kroner, which would be equivalent to about $5 billion.  28 billion kroner.  […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com “Life isn’t fair,” said Mr. Cooper, our high school sophomore English teacher.  It was his standard comeback when you received an essay with a grade you didn’t like, or when the class would go off on a tangent about the injustice of current events. Decades later, I’ve caught myself telling […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com So I’m chatting with a group of mainly young professionals, 30 years of age or less, when I tell a sure-fire joke.  A real snapper.  One that has never failed to get a laugh.  The punch line goes, “And the guy says, ‘Let’s go in the darkroom and see what […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com  They’re memorializing the late songstress Whitney Houston today in New Jersey.  Every cable channel has a complete satellite compound up and broadcasting, as they have been for days, and flags across the Garden State are flying at half-staff, as directed by the governor.  Two weeks ago, they played the Super Bowl […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com www.totalprotraining.com It’s tough to stun a bunch of hormonal, unfocused 15-year-old sophomore boys, but we were good and truly stunned. Up on my high school’s stage, a man paced like a panther contemplating his next meal.  His voice was low but powerful, a deep baritone growl buzzing beneath every word he […]

By Tim Hayes www.timothy-hayes.com www.totalprotraining.com When “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” debuted in 1937, Walt Disney stunned Hollywood and began his ascent to conquer the world with entertainment that no one had seen or experienced before. An unqualified success, the 80-minute film – scoffed at by outsiders during its production as “Disney’s Folly” – […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] There’s a scene near the end of the movie “The King’s Speech,” where the king – a severe stammerer, who has just successfully delivered his first wartime speech at the outbreak of World War II – turns to his unorthodox speech coach, Lionel Logue.  The king, as his emotions begin to […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] The kids just roll their eyes when I pull this old chestnut out of storage.  “When I went to elementary school, we had to walk there in the morning, walk home for lunch, walk back to school, and walk home again.” Occasionally I throw in little sweeteners to embellish this heart-tugging […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] It’s a simple question: Are you nervous when you talk with your family over the dinner table?  Assuming the answer is “no,” we move on – “we” being me and the speaker I happen to be training at the time. Why this particular question?  Because getting comfortable speaking in front of […]

By Tim Hayes www.tiomhayesconsulting.com So much happening across the country and around the world recently that fairly screams out the central, fundamental, core critical importance of communications – and the need to respect the people with whom one communicates. Take the budget impasse in Wisconsin, for instance.  On one side, the Governor wants to rein […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com The Super Bowl is again upon us and, for once, it’s a shame somebody has to lose this game. Two of the NFL’s most legendary and respected franchises, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers, will battle it out for the world championship of American football.  But even though one […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] On this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, it’s worth spending a little time examining the magnificence of his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech.  It’s worth actually reading through the entire transcript of that address, because it points out with painful clarity how lazy and lousy today’s alleged orators actually […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] At least once each winter, as the cold and the slush and the snow seep into our bones around here, I find myself driving past Kennywood Park – a grand old Pittsburgh amusement park with some of the best roller coasters anywhere.  Of course, in the dead of winter, nobody’s enjoying […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] One of my heroes has been gone for many years, now.  But I think a lot about him this time of year, as do millions of people around the world. Before I met him in person, I would have never thought of him as heroic.  I would have never thought of […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] Whatever happened to rationality?  Talking, not shouting?  Listening and considering, not curt out-of-hand rejection of an opposing view?  How did discourse become so discounted? There must be a third way, if we hope to address some of the big problems.  It is my hope this Thanksgiving that Americans begin to get […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] In the corporate world, you gotta watch out for grand pianos falling from the sky. Most times they land on other people, other departments, other initiatives.  And sometimes they land on you.  I know – it happened to me exactly 10 years ago this month, which is how my independent practice […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] The Sign, haphazardly Scotch-taped to the basement cinder-block wall of my college newspaper’s newsroom, carried a hand-scrawled message on a hastily ripped sheet of notebook paper.  I first saw it during my junior year as a still-raw, still-learning, still-aspiring journalist.  It was a long, long time ago.  But I think of […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] Ever find yourself gulping for breath, adrenaline pounding, shaking from head to toe, and covered in Kellogg’s Raisin Bran? No?  Well, I have.  Here’s how. Having been named news editor of my college newspaper, I was returning to campus a week earlier than most students following the Christmas break to start […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] Without discomfort, stretching, even pain, there can be no growth. As a trainer of business people in making public presentations, I see evidence of this constantly.  We’ve all heard the old saying, “People fear public speaking more than death.”  I’ve never let myself believe that’s completely true.  It’s just too illogical […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] Standing on a slim steel beam, 50 feet in the air, strapped into a harness and told to jump, isn’t exactly my idea of a fun day at the office. Yet there I was, with about 10 trade publication editors gazing up at me.  I could have sworn I head a […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com They say that sometimes the truth hurts.  But it’s been my experience that the truth does just the opposite.  It leads to some great professional moments. Earlier in my career, I worked for a large company and served as the dedicated speechwriter to the president.  On occasion, he would need to […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] Across the shiny conference table with the lovely floral arrangement tastefully set to one side, sat my boss’ boss, who used to be my direct boss.  This colorful, polished, highly intelligent woman had brought the organization’s Corporate Communications group into crack fighting shape through her insight, her unerring eye for talent, […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] Lorne Michaels, legendary producer of “Saturday Night Live” was once asked at what point does he know a show is ready for broadcast. His response went something like, “It’s not that we’ve polished every sketch and rehearsed it to perfection.  It’s when the clock says 11:30 p.m. in New York and […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] My beloved hometown baseball club, the Pittsburgh Pirates, has not had a winning season in 17 years.  The Buccos are 20 games under .500 right now, so we’re looking at chalking up another losing campaign.  They have broken my 15-year-old son’s heart his entire life, and have nearly driven me into […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] We were going for our first mortgage many years ago, when our bank called and asked to see yet another set of documents.  I took them to work with me the next day and left the office building mid-morning to walk the three blocks or so to meet with the banker. […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] I don’t believe in coincidence.  I think everything happens for a reason, even though we may not realize it as it’s happening.  Instead, I believe in luck – as defined by that first century Roman gadfly Seneca, who said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Using Seneca’s definition, I […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] Look, opinions are like belly-buttons – everybody’s got one.  Especially when it comes to managerial techniques.  Loyal readers of this blog know that we try to concentrate on helping leaders do their jobs better by understanding and implementing solid communications practices. So in that spirit, this week a Business Week article […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com] There ain’t no such thing as a sure thing.  One very painful afternoon in a hotel ballroom proved that to me. Back when I was part of the internal communications staff at a major corporation, my duties included organizing an annual luncheon to kick off the region’s U.S. Savings Bond sales […]

By Tim Hayes [www.timhayesconsulting.com]  Over the course of nearly 20 years in corporate and government communications, and 10 years as an independent consultant, I’ve been in the room many times when the Big Idea gets hatched. “We need to change the culture of this organization!”  “We’re going to do things differently around here to serve […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   Okay, so everybody’s seen the weird black-and-white, creepy fatherly voiceover, mea culpa, brand-defending commercial starring the world’s most famous serial adulterer, Mr. Eldrick Woods.  And most people have formed an opinion about it by now, if they care at all.   Here’s mine:  Shut up and golf already.   Self-styled […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   The first time it happened, I quickly moved the cursor around, selected “Add Sender to Blocked Sender List,” clicked the mouse and thought it was all over with.   As my kids would say: “Fail.”   That happened years ago and since then at least 50 e-mails a day arrive, […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   America is the land of second chances.  Just ask Bill Clinton, Martha Stewart, David Letterman, Robert Downey Jr., or a thousand other examples.  But when high-profile people abuse the reservoir of public goodwill, things can get a little more difficult.   We have a situation like this in my hometown […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   You’ve heard of these books.  “All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”  “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People.”  “Good to Great.”  A stroll down the self-help aisle at any chain bookstore offers scores of similar titles.   But I’ve found some of the greatest tips not […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   Many years ago, when I was a PR greenhorn at a large corporation, I had returned from an assignment at a field office and approached the first floor elevators to get back to my little cubicle.  Ahead of me walked the CEO of the company, headed for the same elevators.  […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   Speechwriters, political pundits, and columnists have been hard at work combing over such recent high-profile events as President Obama’s State of the Union address, the acceptance remarks made by Senator-elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts, and even Robert Downey Jr.’s sarcastic quips at the Golden Globes.   But I’ve been more […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   One of my favorite perks as a middle-aged professional comes in visiting college classes as a guest speaker.  Inevitably, standing before a class of young aspiring communicators, I know two questions will be coming my way:  “How much do you make?” and “Have you ever had to lie?”    The […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   The year was 1970 and I was all of 10 years old, one of about 40 Cub Scouts sitting on the floor of the local Moose Lodge one chilly Friday evening, spellbound by the superlative storytelling of Mr. Vis, one of the troop leaders.   Good gravy, Mr. Vis knew […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   “The most basic state of mind that leaders need to understand is the will of their constituencies: their will to work, their will to live, their will to revolt, their will to follow you.”   So says Jim Clifton, Chairman and CEO of Gallup, in a recent interview in the […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   They painted a brand new double-yellow line down the center of the main road near my house last week.  It must have looked so pristine, so clean and neat, the two parallel stripes of paint telling drivers to stay on their side of the road.   I say it “must […]

By Tim Hayes www.timhayesconsulting.com   It’s tough to appreciate it until you’re actually in the moment, but there’s a world of difference between standing up on short notice to speak before a group, and handling an impromptu news conference.    Most noticeably, when you’re at a podium, you’re in control of the environment, the pace, […]