Writings from the cellular to the whole
The Big Waves Journal
On Polarity: The Complexity of No Right Answer 1200 800 Brook Thorndycraft

On Polarity: The Complexity of No Right Answer

A polarity in conflict is a disagreement that is fundamentally unsolvable, because there is no clear right or wrong answer. A polarity becomes a conflict because people care deeply about the outcome, and their underlying ideas, values and beliefs pull them strongly to one side or the other. 

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How To Be A More Trauma Informed Workplace 1800 1200 Brook Thorndycraft

How To Be A More Trauma Informed Workplace

Trauma is very common in the workplace, and many workplace cultures make it worse or even create it. Learn tangible steps for building a trauma informed workplace culture that supports people’s safety, belonging and dignity.

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Why We Avoid Conflict in the Workplace 1200 800 Brook Thorndycraft

Why We Avoid Conflict in the Workplace

Conflict is unavoidable. It is a natural part of human interaction. When we try to avoid it, we usually make it worse. The best thing you can do to improve your team dynamic is develop your own capacity to engage in conflict, and support others to do the same. 

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What to do if “No One Wants to Work Anymore” 1800 1200 Brook Thorndycraft

What to do if “No One Wants to Work Anymore”

People are pushing back against the narrative about work that it is normal and expected to go above and beyond, stay late, commute an hour each way, and demonstrate excellence in everything. Many parents are no longer willing to miss a birthday or the school play because of a deadline. Leaders are having to catch up with this change to support engagement and healthy workplaces.

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How a Workplace Came Back Stronger from a Crisis 1800 1200 Brook Thorndycraft

How a Workplace Came Back Stronger from a Crisis

Andrew, Enviro’s Director of Operations, knew that something major needed to be done to support healing after a formal complaint of bullying and harassment led to an investigation. They needed a solution to the immediate crisis, but he had a bigger vision than that. He wanted to build a healthy workplace culture where people could collaborate respectfully, disagree constructively, and feel safe enough to learn from feedback. 

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We Are Nature Not Machines 1000 667 Brook Thorndycraft

We Are Nature Not Machines

When we place urgency and deadlines before human wellbeing, we end up with major problems of burnout, turnover, conflict and toxicity … the list goes on. We need to do the personal and interpersonal work that is  necessary to really change how we relate, what we value, how we act, and how we lead.

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How to Know When We’re Leading from Reactivity 1000 667 Brook Thorndycraft

How to Know When We’re Leading from Reactivity

There is no one right way to engage in conflict, but it is possible to have less reactivity and more choice in our responses.  With choice, we can have more fluidity, a sense of capacity, and feel in alignment with our dignity. Leaders have a greater responsibility to develop a range of ways to respond in conflict because of the power attached to their role.

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What is Somatic Coaching? 1800 1200 Brook Thorndycraft

What is Somatic Coaching?

Your body knows how to heal and resource itself. Big Waves uses a range of somatic approaches to help you listen to your body’s wisdom to find your path to greater alignment.

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Five Questions to Begin Your New Relationship with Conflict 900 600 Brook Thorndycraft

Five Questions to Begin Your New Relationship with Conflict

I used to be afraid of conflict, and I had the survival strategies to match that fear. Sometimes I would come out swinging hard, if I felt righteous, or particularly angry.  Other times, I would give up my own needs and boundaries to protect the other person’s feelings, if I was worried about the relationship. …

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What is Workplace Restoration? 1800 1200 Brook Thorndycraft

What is Workplace Restoration?

A major trauma in the workplace can be a devastating experience for management and employees. Through the Workplace Restoration process, we help organizations put the workplace back together. The process will relieve tension, restore employee relationships and confidence and help you move on, leaving the stress behind.

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Preventing workplace conflict: Part Two 1200 800 Brook Thorndycraft

Preventing workplace conflict: Part Two

You can create a healthy conflict culture: a space with the fluidity and flexibility to encourage disagreement, prevent serious harm, and learn from both successes and mistakes. In this kind of setting conflicts are less likely to escalate into a crisis that requires costly and traumatic intervention.

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Preventing workplace conflict: Part One 1200 800 Brook Thorndycraft

Preventing workplace conflict: Part One

Prevention saves an organization time and energy A new manager faces a conflict that has gone on for several years. The previous manager ignored signs of conflict within the team, hoping it would go away. The manager taking over the team contacts me in the hope I can help them function better, but he has…

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