Conflict resolution has long been a part of family disputes and divorce proceedings, but Clinton resident Kellie Bradley Miller is bringing the little-known field of corporate alternative dispute resolution to central Arkansas.
Miller opened Conflict Works last June, and she said the company’s "challenge is not to eliminate conflict, but to transform it into a process that is productive and inspires growth."
The idea began about two years ago, when Miller found herself unemployed. She decided to cash in her IRA and go back to school. She began a conflict resolution master’s certification program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, which she completed in December 2011. "I’ve been interested in [the field] for many years," she said, "but I’ve never had time to pursue it."
Miller has spent nearly three decades working in businesses, both large and small, and she has seen her share of workplace conflict. She said she thinks the biggest problems include company growth and not knowing where the problems lie.
We try "to manage that growth and the inevitable ‘bumping’ that happens," she said.
For now, Miller said, she is just trying to get the business off the ground. She has plans for a website, and a Little Rock satellite office may be in her future. Startup is taking time, but Miller is optimistic.
"I know that once the message gets out there and people start talking about the positive changes that have been made, I think it will be much better and the business will come," she said.
For more information about Conflict Works, contact Miller at (501) 350-3518.
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