Conflict Resolution
Handling disagreement in your club early, privately and respectfully, and knowing when to escalate.
About this session
Presented by Stacy Jacobs, Chair of the District 9660 Conflict Resolution Committee, who comes to it from the Community Justice Centre and mediation. Hosted by District Governor Di Hall.
It starts from the position that conflict is normal and can be healthy, and that what shapes a club's culture is not whether disagreement happens but how the club responds to it. The session is deliberately practical: what causes conflict in a Rotary club specifically, how to spot it early, how to hold the conversation, and where the district can help when a club cannot resolve it on its own.
The deck is written as a self-guided session, so a club can work through it at a board or committee meeting without a presenter.
What the session covers
- Why conflict happens in every club, and how the response shapes club culture
- Common causes: miscommunication, assumptions, differing expectations, feeling unheard
- Triggers specific to Rotary clubs, including committee decisions, workload imbalance, and tradition versus change
- Early warning signs: attendance dropping off, cliques forming, tone in emails, withdrawal and silence
- Conflict styles, and a framework for having the conversation
- What not to do, including treating grievances as a collection to be dredged up later
- Supporting someone in conflict without taking the problem over: listen, validate, stay neutral, keep it confidential
- Building a positive culture: communicating openly, addressing issues early, valuing all voices, staying purpose-driven
Raise it with your club first, and make sure it is documented. Clubs are autonomous and most issues are best settled at club level, privately and early. If the club has been told and the matter has not been addressed, the District Conflict Resolution Committee can advise on a specific case, provide mediation training, or mediate when a club asks. Contact the committee at conflictresolution@rotary9660.org.au.