At Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Co.

(HE&R), coaching employees has been in

the fabric of the company for over 20 years as part of striving to have the right
people in the right positions while maximizing each individual's strongest skill set.
When Vikki Hultquist, general manager of attractions and entertainment, approached
Andrew Helmer, vice president of HR, about a coach for her direct report Anthony
"Tony" Rossi, managing director of maintenance, there was immediate agreement.

Rossi is an industry-recognized expert who has extensive knowledge of technical

solutions for attractions and other maintenance required within the company's
Hersheypark amusement park in Pennsylvania. What he needed was an unbiased
third party to guide him through HE&R's strategy, structure and people processes.

"Tony is an excellent leader in the maintenance department, and we wanted to

support him with additional resources around talent management," Helmer said. "He
was stretching into new areas and developing a long-term plan for the department
around people management."

Paul Kreider of Kreider & Associates, who has worked with HE&R for more than 20
years and is known to many of the HE&R team members as Coach K, was an easy
choice for Helmer.

Kreider started his 25-year coaching career as a classroom facilitator teaching

organizational development, where he was often asked for advice on employee
relations issues and frequently provided leadership advice. Over time, he recognized
that he excelled in the transformational side of HR and began to leverage what he
learned through his experiences as an executive coach.

When he started coaching Rossi, Kreider held listening sessions with all full-time
team members, including unionized positions. Next, he held more-detailed sessions
with the maintenance management team to gain feedback on ways to improve the
department's structure, leadership and functionality. Kreider asked open-ended
questions, listened to responses, and took the feedback and opportunities that he
identified back to leadership. He used that real-time employee feedback to ensure
that he was on the right track.
The trio of Kreider, Rossi and Hultquist held weekly sessions with Rossi's directors to
talk about aligning the strategy, structure and people process with growing business
needs.

"Paul always followed up with who owned what action items and where we should
push harder. We were a triangle of effectiveness," Hultquist said.

During this time, Rossi, a hands-on problem solver, empowered his maintenance
management team to execute day-to-day needs so he could focus on the strategic
initiatives. He admitted that at first he did not know what to expect. The coaching
process proved to be both easy and extremely challenging.
"Through this coaching experience, I have a new and rewarding outlook for my
position on our team," Rossi said. "I realize there is much more to my position. I have
learned to concentrate on developing my team members and help them look inside
themselves to find their individual strengths. Now I present challenges to the team
and encourage them to work together to develop solutions."

Keep Communication Flowing

Keeping all parts of the trio in the communications loop was important to the success
of the engagement. Kreider and Hultquist had daily discussions to ensure continued
alignment with the goal. They also took the opportunity to review topics that came up
in the weekly meetings with Rossi's directors. Helmer and Kreider held monthly
recap meetings to discuss progress.

Williams agreed with this frequent approach to communications. "A coach should
check in with HR periodically—for example, once every six weeks in a six-month
engagement," she said. "Discussions should include the plan and the goals, the
action items, and [the] level of commitment. Talk about how the process is going and
how coachable the individual has become."

She cautioned, however, that these discussions run the risk that a coach conveys
too many details to the HR partner.

Helmer said he made sure his discussions with Kreider were focused on the purpose
of the engagement rather than on the conversations he had with Rossi. "Tony
needed to have a relationship of trust with Paul, one that allowed discussions about
anything," Helmer said. "That being said, Paul and I have an understanding that
anything that is an ethical, moral or legal issue had to be raised with me."
Kreider said he provided brief reports on progress, never sharing any confidential
information. "The trickiest part was to make sure HR knew what was going on, while
maintaining confidentiality with the coachee," he said.

All parties agreed that this coaching engagement was highly successful.

"Tony has become more comfortable being uncomfortable. He has transitioned to

more of a coach, empowering his team and allowing them to learn while developing
their own style. Now, Tony has time for future planning. This process helped Tony
see how to achieve wins again and again," Hultquist said.

Helmer agreed. "Tony clearly thinks on the mechanical, hands-on plane. He is simply
wired that way. And now he is thinking about the development of his younger team
members. Tony's future lies in the growth of his team and his legacy within the
company," he said.
Rossi is grateful for his experience and the investment his company has made in
him. "Coach K helped us assemble a talented team while showing us the way to
forge a plan that will ensure our success," Rossi said. "He has taught me that my
knowledge and experience are of more value when I share it with the team rather
than jumping in and fixing an issue on my own. My role now is to help forge the
future growth of the team and to empower them to find their own solutions. I learned
that not everyone has to agree. Different opinions and outlooks are what create
unique and creative solutions."

Kreider added, "We all have strengths. We are all becoming more of who we already
are. It is a personal journey of leadership for all of us."