Mentorship works best inside the work
Advice is easier to remember when it resolves a problem an engineer is facing today. That is why I prefer pairing, architecture notes, review examples, and small decision frameworks over a detached curriculum of best practices.
The goal is not more comments
Reviews should distinguish correctness, risk, maintainability, and preference.
Authors should understand the decision well enough to make the next one without waiting for approval.
Standards should reduce repeated debate while leaving room for context and exceptions.
Managers should see where the team is growing and where one person still carries too much hidden context.
A healthier review culture compounds
The strongest outcome is a team that can disagree clearly, explain trade-offs, and move work forward with less anxiety. Read Mentoring Engineers Through Code Review Without Slowing Delivery or explore the broader Technical Leadership service.