How to Motivate Employees as a Manager

Most managers can rattle off exactly what their reps are doing. They know the close rate. They know how many inspections got booked. They know who's hitting numbers and who isn't.

But ask them if their top sales rep's marriage is falling apart. Blank stare. Ask if the guy who's been underperforming for two months just found out his kid has a health problem. No clue. Completely lost.

That's not a sales problem. That's a leadership problem.

At Bartlett Roofing we've built this company on something different. It's a framework. It's actionable. And it's one of the most important things a leader can do. I'm going to walk you through exactly how it works.

Nobody Works Hard for Your Quota

Here's what you need to understand. Nobody's going to grind for your quota. No one. They work hard for what the quota makes possible in their actual life.

The house. The vacation. The trip to Disneyland they promised the kids. Getting out of debt. Buying a boat. A new truck. Maybe they're just trying to prove something to their spouse or their dad who told them they'd never amount to anything.

If you don't know what that thing is for every single person on your team, you're managing numbers with zero idea what's driving or killing those numbers underneath. Most managers never ask. Not because they're bad people. Because they don't think it's their job. They say stuff like, 'I'm not supposed to be a counselor. I'm a manager.' They get a big head about having the title. I call B.S. You can't lead people as a manager. You have to lead them as a person.

How to Have a One-on-One That Actually Means Something

You need to set up what I call a deep dive one-on-one. And before you get into the framework, you have to be straight up about what this conversation is and what you expect from it. There are three things you tell them upfront.

First, you expect radical honesty and you'll give it back. This conversation only works if both people are real with each other. If they hold back, you're both wasting your time. And let me tell you something. There's only one way to get radical honesty from somebody. You have to be a vulnerable human being first. You have to share about who you are, what's going on in your life, what you're struggling with. Some people are going to say you don't need to share that stuff with employees. Fine. Good for you. You're a manager. You're not a leader. If you can't lead with some vulnerability, you're just going to come across as an arrogant prick. People might admire your results but they're not going to follow you.

Second, you tell them you want them there long term but you don't necessarily expect it. I've had plenty of these conversations where I said, 'Hey, we're going to set long term goals. As long as you're here, I expect you to work 100% toward those goals. Because I'm going to be invested in helping you hit them.' Those goals get built around what they want in their life. The car, the house, the savings account. Whatever it is. They need to see that your buy-in is right there next to theirs.

Third, your goal is to actually know them. Not just manage their metrics. To understand what they want out of their lives so you can help them get there.

Connect Their Daily Behavior to the Life They Actually Want

This isn't therapy. This isn't being soft. This is the most strategic thing a leader can do. Because once you know what someone is working toward, you can connect their daily behavior to the life they actually want. That's the thing that creates real buy-in.

Most people struggle with structure. They struggle with understanding long-term consequences. I've watched guys on my team who literally couldn't think past Friday when the paycheck hits. Forget about a month from now. They're just trying to get through the week.

If you can help them build habits and intentionality and goals in a way that moves them toward the things that actually matter to them, you won't just be their boss. You'll be their hero. And that person will run through a wall for you. Not because you demanded it. Because you helped them see why the wall was worth running through in the first place.

Why You Start Every Deep Dive One-on-One With Family

There are four pillars in this deep dive framework. The first one is Family. You start here because it tells you everything.

What does life actually cost this person? What does it need to look like for them to feel like they're winning at home? Are they married? Do they have kids? How old are their kids? These aren't small talk questions. This is the foundation.

When you know someone's family situation, you understand the pressure they're carrying. You understand why they showed up flat last Tuesday or why they absolutely crushed it on Friday. You understand the context behind the numbers. And when you can tie their performance back to what it means for their family, for the people they love, now you've got something no quota or commission plan will ever create. You've got someone who's personally invested. Because you invested in them first.