I work in the IT Security profession and currently mentor / leader a team of 4. A team member today asked a question regarding whether an observation / anomaly was material. Previously, I mentioned in some of my other questions that I wanted team members to be more proactive. Hence, rather than providing a direct answer,I asked What do you think? and How would you research the question? I made minor corrections in what he said, and referred him to professional guidelines as published within my industry
The ability to exercise professional judgement and evaluate evidence is crucial skill in my profession as an IT auditor.
However, could challenging the questioner in this manner be considered rude / unprofessional, as I may seem cold or unwilling to to assist my team?