Guidelines are understood to be the set of written or verbal guidelines that must be followed to achieve a goal. Its use in its plural form is generalized, since normally there are several guidelines that must be applied to achieve a purpose.
In its singular form, guideline is a term that has a double meaning. On the one hand, it is a concept of geometry that indicates the condition of the geometric space from which it is possible to generate a line (from another line or from a specific surface). On the other, it is an instruction, guideline or recommendation.
We live between guidelines
In all areas of life in society there are rules. They can be articulated in the form of laws, codes or regulations, which are intended to organize a sphere of reality. All of them are presented as a general frame of reference and a series of guidelines emerge from them (it must be borne in mind that the guidelines cannot be in contradiction with the general rules).
Let's illustrate this idea with an example. A soccer team has to play based on a regulation and, at the same time, the coach of the team sets out a series of guidelines on how his players should act on the field (the regulations and guidelines cannot be contradicted and if so, would give an absurd and illogical situation). The above example serves to illustrate the general mechanism of most situations where guidelines are given.
One of the areas in which this concept is used the most is in education. In the teaching-learning process, the teacher guides his students with a series of training elements, that is, various guidelines.
Inadequate guidelines
In principle, the guidelines that are given are in a context in which there is a superior and one or more subordinates. At the same time, the indications are intended to be adequate and reasonable. However, it is very common for mistakes to be made. One of the most common is authoritarianism (do this because I say so). The possibilities of making errors related to the guidelines are quite diverse: ambiguous and unclear guidelines, excessive guidelines, lack of supervision over their effective compliance or some contradiction between some of the guidelines.
Despite the mistakes that can be made, there is a way to know if the guidelines are adequate or not: if the objective of the same is fulfilled.
