When Ravi, a young software engineer in Bengaluru, started his career, he often found himself confused about what help he needed. He heard terms like guidance or mentoring or coaching and to him all of it seemed alien. Honestly, he wasn't even sure what each of these meant. Over the years, he experienced all three — and that changed how he grew at work.
👉 Guidance came first. His team lead would tell him, “Follow this coding framework” or “Use this tool for debugging.” It was direct, task-focused, and helped him avoid mistakes. Guidance solved today’s problem.
👉 Mentoring happened when he met Shreya, a senior manager in Pune. She didn’t just tell him what to do, she shared why and how. She spoke about handling client expectations, building resilience, and planning his career. Mentoring lit up the future path.
👉 Coaching came later, when Ravi wanted to become a tech lead. His company arranged professional coaching sessions. The coach never gave him answers. Instead, they asked questions like, “What strengths do you bring as a leader?” or “How would you handle conflict differently?” Coaching empowered him to discover his own solutions.
That’s when Ravi realized the difference:
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Guidance is about direction.
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Mentoring is about wisdom.
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Coaching is about unlocking potential.
In India’s fast-paced tech world, professionals like Ravi need a mix of all three. Guidance to get started, mentoring to grow, and coaching to lead.
💡 If you’re leading teams today, ask yourself — are you guiding, mentoring, or coaching your people? Or a bit of all three?
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