The power of goal mastery lies in creating an environment where individuals not only set adequately-challenging targets, but also have the accountability and support needed to achieve them.
SALESPEOPLE – I get it – targets are a part of your work world. But – can we do better?
SALES LEADERS – read on to truly understand how to balance autonomy and structure. The results will speak for themselves. Higher conversion rates, stronger client relationships, and long-term commitment to success.
In this part, we’ll explore how the principles of goal mastery from elite sport translate directly to sales. Drawing on my experiences with the New England Free Jacks, I’ll show how value alignment, breaking down big goals into manageable steps, and accountability by choice—can lead to stronger, more engaged sales teams.
Goal setting at the New England Free Jacks
Two years in Boston, two Championship titles. It was an environment that promoted growth, belonging, and constant improvement. Under Head Coach Scott Mathie, the Free Jacks created a culture of goal mastery where players were encouraged to develop as players and people. In this section, I’ll break down the deliberate efforts made to promote autonomy-supportive goal attainment, and how these can be applied to sales teams for maximum impact.
New England Free Jacks – Outstanding and deliberate cultural initiatives and outcomes…and decent on-field results!
Value Alignment: Connecting Personal and Professional Goals
Goal-setting always started with the player. It started with a conversation. With questions. With high-quality listening. With presence and curiosity from the Leader.
What mattered most to them? Whether it was their performance on the field, their role in the community, or even their family life, every player had the opportunity to set goals that aligned with their personal values. If a player’s goals were meaningful to them beyond rugby, they’d be far more connected and internally motivated to achieve them. Simple as!
In sales, the same principle applies. Salespeople are more engaged and motivated when their professional goals align with something they care about personally. A sales leader could ask their team:
What’s important to you in life right now? How can we shape your professional goals to support that?”
For example, a salesperson who values work-life balance but also wants to excel in their career could set goals that focus on time management—hitting their targets while maintaining boundaries. This value-driven approach makes goals feel personal and significant, fostering long-term commitment and internal motivation. When personal fulfilment is tied to professional success, the desire to perform comes from within.
A blank ‘Individual Performance Development’ (IPD) sheet. Adapted from great work by Ed Robinson and Pete Atkinson at Wasps.
Big Ambitions, Manageable Steps
Goal mastery requires opportunities for guided autonomy. We worked closely with players to break down big goals into manageable, actionable steps. This wasn’t just a top-down process. The player remained in control, with the coach serving as a facilitator to guide decision-making and provide education on how to structure progress. Together, we would identify the specific actions required to achieve the goal, determine the time needed, and define how success would be measured.
For example, a player looking to improve their kicking game would work with the coach to map out targeted practice sessions, establish measurable outcomes (such as accuracy over a set number of kicks), and schedule review points. The player drove the process, but the coach provided essential clarity and support, ensuring the steps were realistic yet challenging.
Player goals were combined with our Culture Theme (music-based) and used as the front cover to gym plans (pictured), recovery plans, and feedback reports. Goals were broken-down to deterministic and measurable steps.
In sales, leaders can adopt this same approach. When a salesperson sets a revenue or client acquisition goal, the leader’s role is to guide the process, helping to break down the target into clear, attainable steps while ensuring the salesperson retains ownership of the plan. This might involve mapping out actions such as improving client outreach, refining the sales pitch, or focusing on closing key deals. The key is that autonomy is supported, with the salesperson in control of how they tackle each step, but guided by the leader’s expertise.
For example:
“What actions will you focus on this week to move you closer to your target, and how will you measure your progress?”
By educating salespeople on how to plan and measure success, while allowing them the freedom to decide how they achieve their goals, leaders can ensure that each step feels manageable, motivating, and aligned with long-term objectives.
Accountability by Choice: Personalising Support Systems
Accountability at the Free Jacks was driven by player choice, another key element of autonomy. We used a whiteboard system where players were responsible for writing down the actions they were working on each week. This visual tool allowed players to track their own progress and made their goals transparent to both coaches and teammates. The important distinction here was that players had the autonomy to decide how they wanted to be held accountable, and who they wanted to involve in their progress. Whether they wanted a coach to challenge them regularly or preferred peer support, the player remained in control.
This system was rooted in autonomy-supportive principles: players were given the freedom to shape their own accountability process, while the structure (the whiteboard) ensured that progress was visible and measurable. The role of the coach was to support and guide where necessary, offering educational insights but leaving the player responsible for their own development.
In sales, a similar system can be applied. Sales leaders can introduce a public tracking tool—such as a whiteboard or digital dashboard—where salespeople log their weekly goals and actions. This system works best when salespeople choose how they want to be held accountable. For some, it might be regular one-on-one feedback from the leader; for others, peer accountability may work better. The key is that accountability is flexible and personalised, ensuring that each individual has a say in how they are supported while maintaining clear visibility of their progress.
Leaders can ask:
“How would you like me to help keep you on track? What form of support works best for you?”
This approach ensures that accountability feels empowering rather than imposed. It builds trust and encourages salespeople to take full ownership of their progress, while still benefitting from structured support.
Conclusion: The Journey Continues
Goal mastery is the foundation of high performance. By aligning personal values with professional goals, breaking down big ambitions into manageable steps, and allowing for choice in accountability, sales leaders can create an environment where individuals feel empowered to take ownership of their success.
In the final part of this series, Part D, we’ll focus on My Performance. We’ll explore how understanding one’s purpose—both in life and in work—can lead to greater job satisfaction, stronger alignment with organisational goals, and a deeper connection to the work we do.