Hit Quota, Go Home: A Holiday Lesson in Leading People

Years ago, I was running a high-performing Mid-Market sales team at T-Mobile. We were VERY good. We hit numbers early, often, and with a consistency that made leadership take notice. But I did something they did not approve of.

In Q4, when any team member hit quota, I told them to go home. Not permanently or irresponsibly. Just early. Just enough to breathe, recharge, and know that they had earned it. I reminded them to monitor their emails, keep their Q1 pipeline healthy, and be ready to jump back in if needed. But until then, they’d feel no pressure or check-ins from me.

They hit quota, so they went home.

T-Mobile HATED that. In fact, I was explicitly told to stop twice. Leadership said it sent the wrong message, and people needed to maximize their output. So, I nodded but kept doing it anyway.

My manager gave this option to me when I was a rep, and I LOVED it. One year it kept me working until the New Year. But other years it set me free in mid-December. It really taught me the power of discretionary effort, because I gave my Sales Manager loyalty, grit, and results that outlasted any monthly target.

It worked pretty well for my reps too.

The Holiday Tie-In: When Leaders Get It Right

It’s tempting to push hard during the holidays, but the “Hit Quota, Go Home” rule seems to do all the pushing if you get it right. For me, it mostly worked. And my reps then (and recruiters now) tend to come back in January sharper and more loyal. They also remember who trusted them, and I think they give me more than I ask for most of the time.

What Daniel Pink Helped Me Understand Years Later

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it aligns closely with what Daniel Pink describes in Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. At the time, “Hit Quota, Go Home” was a unique Q4 thing I did. It felt right, it motivated my team, and it delivered results. But years later, I read a book called Drive by Daniel Pink, and it really tied things together for me.

Pink outlined three key drivers of motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

• Autonomy is about giving people space to make decisions. When someone hits their goal and you let them step away without micromanagement, you’re showing trust.

• Mastery means people want to get better at what they do. When reps know that hitting their number earns them time and respect, they’ll start to push for excellence on their own.

• Purpose is about believing the work has meaning. Giving your team breathing room at the holidays sends a message that they matter to you.

Pink’s argument is that real performance isn’t driven by carrot-and-stick tactics, but by fueling these three intrinsic motivators. I didn’t know it at the time, but that’s exactly what we were tapping into.

So try it. If someone on your team hits their number in December, back off. Give them the space. See what happens.

You might be surprised by how well they respond, and when they come back in January.

-Adam