In the 1930s, Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky introduced an influential notion of human cognitive development, one that still guides our approach to learning today. This notion, known as the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), represents the idea that human beings have three zones of capabilities: things that they can do without support, things that they cannot do even with support, and things that they are only able to do with support and guidance. This last zone, is the zone of proximal development. This is the space where people are capable of learning, growing, and developing, with the help of a “knowledgeable other”- an expert, a mentor, or a teacher.
This concept is represented in our logo. The shaded grey area represents the ZPD, or the range of potential that we believe organizations have for promoting safety, connection, and growth, and providing a healthy environment for their employees. This potential, however, is often outside the reach of organizations without the facilitation of an expert advisor, such as those at Melioscope, who will guide them toward their best culture.
While the concept of ZPD has been widely influential in educational psychology, we believe that it applies to many contexts, such as organizational settings, because it represents the capacities of individuals and teams to learn and grow when the right support is provided to them. At Melioscope, we aim to continually improve and refine the ways in which we can provide such support, and effectively guide organizations who are in the ZPD with regard to their culture.