If You Don’t Know What Drives Your People, You’re Managing Blind
Why Great Managers Know Their Team’s Personal Goals and Values
Most managers can tell you their team’s sales targets. They can list KPIs, deliverables, and performance review dates without blinking.
But ask them this:
“What does each person on your team care about most, personally and professionally?”
And many go quiet.
Here’s the truth: If you don’t know the personal goals and values of the people you lead, you’re managing with only half the map.
At Braintrust, we believe that the foundation of great coaching isn’t just knowing what your people do, it’s knowing why they do it. And that starts with understanding what matters most to them.
The Science: People Are Motivated by Meaning
Behavioral psychology and neuroscience have shown us something powerful: human beings are not primarily driven by external rewards.
We’re driven by internal values and goals, the things that give our work meaning, purpose, and direction.
When managers tap into those internal drivers, they unlock deeper motivation, trust, and commitment. When they ignore them, performance often becomes transactional, and retention suffers.
The brain’s limbic system, which governs emotion, meaning, and motivation, plays a central role in decision-making. If a coaching conversation only focuses on outcomes and not the “why” behind them, the emotional part of the brain checks out. But when a leader connects work to personal values or long-term goals, the brain lights up, and buy-in follows.
The Disconnect in Most Management Conversations
Managers often assume they know what motivates their team.
They think: “He’s driven by promotion.” “She just wants recognition.” “They’re here for the paycheck.”
But assumptions are dangerous. Without intentional conversations, it’s easy to project our own values onto others, or misread what truly matters to them.
And when coaching conversations focus only on business goals without linking to individual purpose, they fall flat. Employees nod along… but they don’t feel invested.
What Knowing Personal Goals Looks Like in Practice
Let’s be clear: understanding your team’s values isn’t about becoming their therapist or overstepping boundaries. It’s about asking better questions and listening for what lights them up.
It might sound like:
- “What kind of work feels most meaningful to you?”
- “Where do you want to grow this year, inside or outside of work?”
- “What do you hope this role helps you achieve long term?”
- “When do you feel most energized, or drained?”
When you know the answers to questions like these, everything changes:
- Feedback becomes more relevant.
- Development plans become more personalized.
- Recognition becomes more meaningful.
- And most importantly, your people feel seen.
Coaching That Honors the Whole Human
At Braintrust, we teach managers how to coach in a way that connects performance to personal purpose. Because when coaching honors the whole human, not just the employee, you create deeper commitment.
Consider this example:
A rep says their goal is to build confidence so they can lead a team one day. Now your coaching isn’t just about hitting Q2 numbers—it’s about helping them prepare for leadership. You give them stretch projects, coach their communication, and recognize progress toward their vision.
That kind of support builds loyalty that money can’t buy.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
In today’s world of hybrid work, generational shifts, and burnout, employees are craving connection, not just correction.
They want leaders who know them. Who care about what they’re trying to build. Who coach them based on who they are, not just what the company wants them to do.
The best managers aren’t just great at strategy, they’re great at empathy. They lead with curiosity. And they know that when you align personal and professional growth, everyone wins.
The Braintrust Difference
In our NeuroCoaching® programs, we teach leaders how to uncover the deeper drivers that shape behavior. We train them to have purpose-centered conversations that align business goals with personal values, and that’s when coaching goes from mechanical to meaningful.
Because when you know what drives your people, you don’t have to push them to perform.
You get to pull them toward their own version of success.
