Guidanceguidance

Guidance is the attitude of pointing the mentee toward a direction and suggesting a path. The mentor does not walk the road in the mentee's place; they point out where care is needed and which turns are difficult. This is close to Lev Vygotsky's concept of the 'zone of proximal development': a person can reach, with the support of an experienced other, a point they could not reach on their own. When guidance slips into over-direction, it overshadows the mentee's own decision. Good guidance finds the balance between casting light and leaving the decision to the mentee.