When the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread across the globe, many of us were sent home by our employers. A considerable proportion of us will remain there for at least the next year. Moving home took a lot of effort, but I do not think the transition is over. In this article, I will explain why.

Before we get to the main argument, let’s first think about a couple of theories that I will tie together to make my point.

Maslow’s Hierarchy pf Needs

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 2560px-maslows_hierarchy_of_needs2.png Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs by Androidmarsexpress - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=93026655

I’m sure all of you who completed a psychology class at school remember Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. As a refresher, the pyramid groups human needs into layers. You start at the bottom of the pyramid. To climb to the next level, you must first satisfy all the needs below. So, to feel a sense of accomplishment with your life, you are not hungry, not worried about money, and have friends who love and appreciate you. The pyramid is a simplification, but good enough for my argument.

Culture Shock

When you relocate to a new country, the psychological journey from novel to normal is called culture shock. The duration and severity are contingent on the person and the differences between the two cultures.

Culture shock has four stages. First is the honeymoon phase, where everything you see is fresh and exciting. You learn how to survive in your new world. Simple activities, like settling into your home, learning where to buy food, exploring the locale, and starting a job is exciting. The challenges are frustrating but rewarding.

The second stage is the negotiation phase. You are learning how to fit in and trying to reconcile the differences between the culture you left and the one you joined. You spend a lot of time comparing and telling anyone who will listen about the differences. You have to sit with the differences for a while to finally see how aspects of life may be different, but they are not wrong.

Adjustment is the third stage. You apply what you learned in the previous phase, and start to let go of your old cultural attachments. You let new routines and relationships emerge, and your new world starts to feel part of you.

The last stage is acceptance. Now you begin to weave yourself into the fabric of society. You can function well in the new culture, and you are now looking forward to getting on with life.

The culture shock transition follows an emotional arc. The initial positive stage of excitement and accomplishment progresses to a longer time of despondence and frustration. When you reach acceptance, the new culture feels normal, and you are satisfied with your new situation.

Culture Shock and Maslow

After experiencing culture shock a couple of times, I see a link with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. At first, you are concerned with satisfying physical needs, like food, housing, and work. Because the pay-offs are immediate and unequivocal, they lead to a sense of euphoria. As you progress to making friends, fitting in, and making a difference, these tougher challenges can leave you discouraged and frustrated. By the time you reach acceptance, your feelings are more neutral.

What About Working from Home?

In the last six months, we have moved from our bustling offices to a spare corner of our homes. Culture shock is not limited to moving to a new country and transitioning to remote work is certainly a change in culture.

Initially, employers concentrated on the physical aspects of pf remote work. They scrambled to supply the technology we need and gave us space to form new work habits. We have met these new challenges and overcome them. We feel good. Remote work isn’t so bad!

Now, we must rebuild those relationships we rely on to be productive. We miss the water cooler gossip, the subtle signaling that tells us if we are performing well, and all the other social cues of employment. Next is the challenge of maintaining that sense of belonging, knowing you are contributing to the mission, professional development, and career progression. The methods of the collocated workplace may not work in the virtual one. If you have not considered these issues and started testing ideas on how to overcome them, then your staff may experience a long deep trough when the remote work honeymoon ends.