Category Archive for : ‘Networking’

Spring is almost, finally, hopeful here! And so we enjoy the sunshine that’s both outside and inspiring us in the office, by bringing you the second part of the women who motivate and inspire our founder, Donna Gaines with her commentary and insight following each quote!

1. If horses were wishes, beggars would ride. – Willa Mae Alverson This is my deceased Grand-Mother.  She would also say this to me when I wished for something.  It is a great English proverb from the 1700’s that I heard frequently growing up.  My Grand-Mother was a very strong

We hope your week has gotten off to a lovely start! And if you’ve already been down in the weeds of life, even more reason to take a few minutes, collect your thoughts and center yourself on the important things. With this in mind, we present a new short series of inspirational quotes that have motivated and energized Donna Gaines over the years.

1. I love people who make me laugh.  I honestly think it is the thing I like most, to laugh.  It cures a multitude of ills.  It’s probably the most

Hello and welcome to another week of inspiration from architectural thought leaders! Today we present the third and final installment of Donna Gaines‘s favorite quotes, with commentary, focused on the Building and Design industry! Next week keep an eye out for a new theme of favorite quotes. As for now, here are the final four:

1. “Logic will get you from A to B, imagination will take you everywhere. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution”: Albert Einstein.  Einstein’s reputation gained him a

Happy Monday! Welcome to another week. Without further delay, here is the second set of Donna Gaines‘s favorite quotes, with commentary:

1. “I try firstly to make buildings humane. The greatest satisfaction, I think, is when a building opens and the public possesses it and you cut the umbilical cord. You see it taking it’s own life.  There is no greater satisfaction”: Moshe Safdie designs building around the globe that touch many diverse cultures that give back to society.

2. “My passion and great enjoyment for architecture and the reason the older I get,

Good Morning! Are you looking for a few pieces of architectural gold to get your week started? If so, we have a few insights for you! Donna may no longer be in the office every day, but she is still a part of our Gaines International world. As such, we have some of her favorite quotes listed below. And keep an eye out on the following Mondays of this month, as we may just have more on the way! Without further delay, here are her first 5 favorite quotes, with commentary, from

Losing top performers has a negative impact on employee morale, productivity, and company revenue. The top performing employees are the ones who improve your bottom line by closing more deals, writing better proposals, creating more effective business strategies, analyzing your finances more closely and many other ways. That’s not the only compelling reason to hold on to them though.

From the Archives:

Written by: Donna Gaines for an original piece with PSMJ Resources, Inc.

Some helpful advice for newly-hired professionals.

It has been about three months since you landed the job of your dreams with your first-choice firm. The work is great, and your coworkers couldn’t be better. Still, some of the luster has begun to wear off, and you’re getting down to the hard base of routine and reality. What had been unbridled enthusiasm has given way to other considerations: responsibility, your place within the team, short- and long-term accommodations, and personal and

From the Archives:

Written by: Donna Gaines for an original piece with PSMJ Resources, Inc.

Want to ensure your new merger or acquisition “holds water” and succeeds over time? Want to guarantee your big internal change-new business strategy, CRM initiative, or employee incentive plan-is accepted and effectively implemented by your staff? Donna Gaines, President of Gaines International, and Dorie Blesoff, a strategic alliance partnet; have a solution: Use the power of your organizational culture.

In any scenario of large-scale design firm change, say Gaines and Blesoff, “the existing culture must be factored in. If not

From the Archives:

Written by: Donna Gaines for an original piece with PSMJ Resources, Inc.

By the year 2010, the available labor pool will reach 158 million people, but employment needs will rise to 167 million people—that’s a shortfall of nine million people! Design firms are already facing a shortage of leadership, and our labor pool is extremely sparse. As firms find it harder to recruit new management, many are focusing on leadership retention.

What is leadership retention?
Leadership retention is a formalized system for a company to retain and grow leaders. Using only the components of a plan that are not logically pulled together will increase the risk of falling

Photo Credit: CornerStone India

From the Archives:
Written by: Donna Gaines for an original piece with PSMJ Resources, Inc.

Gaines & Associates International (www.gainesintl.com), a specialized professional search firm for the design and building industries, recently hit a pothole while working with a client. After Gaines had referred a candidate, the client interviewer told Gaines the person did not seem to fit the position. What he did not tell Gaines was that he had sent the person to talk with an internal colleague. That colleague liked the candidate and told him he should