Welcome to the BEST resources and tools area of the Academy's Web site. Under the leadership of the Business Enhancement Strategies and Techniques or BEST Committee, we've pulled together the very BEST tools and ideas to benefit every audiologist in every practice setting. You are welcome to adapt these materials for your own use.

Tip of the Month: April

Dealing with Difficult Employees

No matter what your role at your work place (e.g., business owners, managers, supervisors, preceptors, and co-workers), we have all had to deal with a difficult employee. There is usually at least one person at your office whose performance is not up to par, or does not play well with others, or does not meet your expectations. The fact of the matter is that managing the difficult employee can result in you spending large amounts of time and energy devoted to stressing about how to handle the situation. Ultimately, this wasted energy can cost your business in profitability and productivity. Below are some actions that you can take to help deal with a difficult situation head on, as opposed to avoiding the inevitable.

Listen. Sometimes just sitting down and talking to someone can save the day!  Understanding your employee's situation and getting an idea of what barriers may be contributing to decreased job performance can make a big difference in how that person approaches job tasks moving forward. Sometimes people just need to feel that their opinion matters and that they know they are supported in the work place.

Feedback. There is an art to providing feedback. However, providing employees with timely feedback is essential in attempting to change behavior. Whether the feedback is verbal or written, it needs to be clear, concise, and specific in order for the person to understand what needs to be accomplished in order to improve the behavior.

Create Action Plans with Firm Dates and Consequences and Be Consistent.  If employees do not perceive any negative consequences for their actions, they may not ne motivated to change. Set realistic standards and be consistent when holding your employees accountable.

Set Realistic Expectations for Yourself and Be Willing to Have the Honest Conversation. To tell yourself that the difficulty employee will turn into your star performer over night or that the employee with never change, sets you up to be very disappointed.  Changing behavior is a process that takes time.  However, there is only so much you can do to motivate change. If you feel that you have taken the proper steps to facilitate change and the employee is not succeeding, be prepared to let the employee go or have an honest conversation that maybe the job position they are in, is not the best fit for them.

Featured Resource: HIPAA Privacy and Security Manual

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• Academy Direct-to-Consumer Information Toolkit
• May Is Better Hearing Month
• The BEST Guide to Marketing for Audiologists
• October is National Audiology Awareness Month and National Protect Your Hearing Month
• Reaching Physicians Toolkit CD
• Hearing Health Quick Test Tear-offs
• State Licensure Information on Audiology Assistants
• Contract Negotiations

Practice Management (Know-How) Articles

•  The Business of Tinnitus (Audiology Today, March/April 2015)
•  Music Appreciation Education as Defense Against Hazardous Loudness Levels (Audiology Today, January/February 2015)
•  How to Market Your Practice with an E-mail Newsletter (Audiology Today, November/December 2014)
• It’s Louder Than You Think: Are Hearing Conservation Efforts Effective Enough? (Audiology Today, September/October 2014)
•  A New APP-peal for Getting Patients Through Your Door (Audiology Today, July/August 2014)
•  Get Yourself Connected: Apps for Daily Practice (Audiology Today, May/June 2014)
•  Increasing Your Referrals Through Physician Outreach (Audiology Today, March/April 2014)
•  Capitalizing on Search Engine Optimization (Audiology Today, January/February 2014)

Practice Management Articles Archive

Practice Development Tools

• Private Practice Starter List
• Private Practice Checklist
• Satisfaction Survey Template
• Satisfaction Survey Template
• Customized Messages On Hold for Your Practice

More resources like these are available on the BEST Private Practice Start-Up Kit.

Customizable for Your Practice

• The Audiology Practice Essentials (APE) CD (65 forms and letters that you can easily customize for your practice).

Resource Library

• Marketing Scene Articles from Audiology Today
• American Academy of Audiology Fellow Logo
• Photo Library
• Newsletter Tips & Ideas
• Antitrust Overview
• Tools You Can Use

Brochures for Your Practice

The Academy offers a wide variety of brochures that you can order for use in your practice. Click here to find out more about these informative pieces.