A rose and a choccie just won't cut it

February is recognised as the month in which we celebrate the ones we love. To the delight of retailers worldwide, Valentine's Day is now a whole month of specials - on more than chocolate and roses.

The celebration has its roots in ancient Rome, where Valentine, a priest, was executed for aiding Christians. By the 14th century the day was associated with romantic love within the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer, and by the 18th century it had evolved in England into an occasion on which lovers expressed their feelings for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery and sending greeting cards known as valentines.

Nowadays, couples on the lifelong quest to find innovative ways to keep their relationship fresh try their best to find a customised solution for their partners by going beyond the standard gifts.

People go to great lengths to buy the kind of gifts their partners value most. Successful relationships are underpinned by the time we spend getting to know and understand the needs of our partners so we can respond to them in the most optimal manner.

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Applying the same logic to what we do in the workplace often reveals surprising gaps.

Every organisation can identify the high performers, who stand out each year. Leaders do their best to show appreciation for these people's hard work, prioritising them for special incentive programmes in the hopes of improving the organisation's chances of retaining their services.

The problem with this approach is that it defaults to the same textbook incentive mechanisms that have been relied on for centuries, such as increases, bonuses, stock options and promotions.

We cannot expect continued success when we apply the same cookie-cutter approach to everyone - especially to the best performers most worthy of retention.

In the context of Valentine's Day, people often look for creative gifts most likely to bring their partners joy. Surely organisations can achieve far better outcomes in the workplace by employing a similar approach?

What if top performers were offered more creative incentives customised for the individual?

Imagine a world in which your reward at work was given as much creative thought and attention to detail as birthdays and other celebrations.

Perhaps it is extreme to expect this for everyone, but what if a start was made with top performers?

Organisations are often at a loss when it comes to retaining their top staff, especially when a single additional incentive from a competitor could prompt a high performer to switch jobs at the drop of a hat.

There is one valuable opportunity to steal the march on competitors, though.

People spend more of their waking hours at work than anywhere else. Surely this is more than enough time to learn about the kinds of personalised rewards an employee would value above any kind of standard financial incentive?

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For some, it could be a mentoring lunch at their favourite restaurant with a respected leader in the organisation. For others, it could be an annual trip to the best spa or golf course in the country. These kinds of rewards could have intrinsic value far higher than any financial incentive.

Organisations need to start being more comfortable with trying things that are outside of the norm - especially if they hope to retain the best people in a globally competitive world.

This kind of innovative thinking has led some organisations abroad to implement "virtual baby" programmes, in terms of which each employee is allowed to have one virtual-baby project that the organisation will accommodate as far as possible.

The concept has arisen from the premise that parents are often allowed to leave the office to attend school plays, take children to the doctor, and so on - no questions asked. The same kind of treatment would apply to a virtual-baby project, whether it be running, participating in sports, or cooking classes.

The idea behind this is that people are happier and more effective at work if they get to do the things that bring them the most joy.

This approach is as logical- and effective - in the workplace as it is in personal relationships.

zipho@ziphosikhakhane.com

Sikhakhane is an international speaker and an executive at Circle Food Group, with a business honours degree from the University of Cape Town and an MBA from Stanford University