BY JOSH CORMAN

BESTSELLING AUTHOR , CELEBRATED SPEAKER and workplace belonging expert Adam “ Smiley ” Poswolsky has been waiting for nearly two years to come face-to-face with the ISPA community . Originally slated to speak at ISPA ’ s planned Talent Symposium in April of 2020 , Smiley will finally get his chance this May at the 2022 ISPA Conference .“ I ’ m so excited ,” he says , adding that the return to in-person speaking events couldn ’ t come soon enough .“ I ’ m just so pumped — I wish it was next month and not in three months !”

Pulse spoke to Smiley ahead of the 2022 Conference to learn more about his outlook , his vision for the future of work and why he thinks friendship should be chief concern of every leader .

Pulse : You were originally slated to speak to an ISPA audience nearly two years ago . What has changed about the world of work as you see it in the time since ? SMILEY POSWOLSKY : I think the biggest thing is that we ’ re talking more about issues that we didn ’ t used to talk about . When it comes to mental health in the workplace , social health , wellness , loneliness , people struggling with anxiety , a lot of those things were kind of beneath the surface , so to speak , prior to the pandemic . They were still happening — I mean , two-thirds of Americans were lonely in 2019 , prior to lockdown , social isolation , working from home , juggling all of those things . Now , everyone ’ s dealing with it . It ’ s front-andcenter for everyone .

P : Isn ’ t part of the “ front-and-center ” aspect of the issues you mention — especially mental health — the increasingly large role the workplace plays in supporting the people dealing with them ? SP : If there was a silver lining from this experience , it ’ s that this stuff is front-and-center and that it ’ s everyone ’ s responsibility . If we ’ re expecting people to do their best work , but we ’ re not providing the systems and structures and support services , whether it ’ s mental health care , childcare , elder care , giving people more sick days or more flexible leave policies , then they ’ re just going to leave . And they are leaving !

I think that ’ s the other biggest shift . This is a non-negotiable ; it isn ’ t a nice-to-have , this is essential for us doing our best work , for really building a culture of belonging , a culture where everyone ’ s thriving . The flip side of it is so raw and so real in a way that it certainly wasn ’ t before . Everyone knew employee engagement was important , but not like it is now , especially with the Great Resignation and so many people reprioritizing what really matters to them . I think people have said ,‘ How do I want to be spending my time ? How do I want to be spending my days ? I certainly don ’ t want [ to be ] in a place that doesn ’ t

16 PULSE ^■ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022