One of the most important things an organization can do is encourage its employees (or volunteers). Mentoring is a show of faith and an investment in people. But formal mentoring programs can be challenging. This nonformal mentoring approach is grounded in adult learning theory and nonformal teaching practice. It lets you deploy topics and tools at the right time to help people (or groups) grow when ready. These 14 conversation-starters were extracted from “The Encouraging Mentor.” Use these as standalones, add them to your formal program, or start a new one. Free noncommercial use permitted.