The regularly updated OUM Tutor's Handbook provides tutors with the big picture of what is expected of them when they take on OUM's tutorship. While it is a given that each tutor will need to personally translate the given guide to best practices into actual practice, it is not always adequately recognised that the act of translation is always fi ltered through the tutor's unique personality. This in turn will shape the tutor's tutoring style: happy, serious, joyless, fun, sleep-inducing, inspiring, intellectual, and so on. This issue takes a closer look at tutoring styles, the importance of self-examination, rapportbuilding, and balancing learners' needs and preferences.