Jeanne Fisher and others,

Mentoring is positive reinforcement, teaching and guidance. Monitoring
implies critical analysis with an eye to finding fault.  The actual process
is the same, but it's all in how ya do it.  "Catch 'em doing it right" is the
watchword.  Don't point out the errors in performance (of a mom, an
apprentice, your child, etc), because calling attention to something
increases it happening again. You, of course, must recognize the error and
then translate it to the correction needed. Praise the good parts, and offer
some gentle "fine tuning" if needed. Only if the error is really awful should
you stop the person and warn them of the consequences of persisting. The
spirit of the process is as important as knowing what is correct and what
needs improvement.

Linda Smith, instructor in "coaching 101" today.
Dayton, OH