@@ -28,22 +28,24 @@ Mentorship is defined in our [Mentoring handbook page:](https://about.gitlab.com
[Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2019/08/a-lack-of-sponsorship-is-keeping-women-from-advancing-into-leadership) defines the difference between sponsors versus mentors: “While a mentor is someone who has knowledge and will share it with you, a sponsor is a person who has power and will use it for you.”
## Starting a Sponsorship Program
## Starting a DIB Sponsorship Program
A DIB sponsorship program can start in a variety of ways:
A sponsorship program can start in a variety of ways:
1. By request from a senior leader to a People Business Partner or DIB Team
2. By request of a People Business Partner as part of the departments ongoing people strategy
3. By the Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Team as part of the ongoing DIB Strategy for that department or GitLab as a whole
When requesting a new Sponsorship Program these things should be taken into consideration
1. Bandwidth must be available to carry out the sponsorship program
2. A defined list of potential participants
3. Clear goals of the Sponsorship Program i.e; to provide growth opportunities to top performers or to increase leadership representation of a URG in the department
## Sponsorship Program Outline
## DIB Sponsorship Program Outline
* The program can be 6/9/12 months in duration
* Create an issue using the issue template to begin the process
* Create an issue highlighting the URG or at risk group, timeframe, potential start date
* Identify and nominate Executive Sponsorship Advocates
* Identify Sponsors & agreement to particpate
* Nominate Sponsees & agreement to participate
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@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ The Executive Sponsorship Advocates are nominated senior leaders by the E-Group
- Provide opportunities and space for risk-taking and growth
- Provide feedback on growth and skill development
**The sponsorship relationship may not provide all the above but the sponsor should be willing and able to provide some of the opportunities above to the sponsor.**
**The sponsorship relationship may not provide all the above but the sponsor should be willing and able to provide some of the opportunities above to the sponsor.**
## Role of a Sponsee
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@@ -100,7 +102,7 @@ The Executive Sponsorship Advocates are nominated senior leaders by the E-Group
- Be able to commit to the duration of the program
- Willing to commit to the overall expectations of the program as outlined throughout the handbook page
**As a Sponsee you should be:**
**As a Sponsee you should be:**
- Be able to lead the relationship with your sponsor
- Be able take risks with the relationship
- Trust is a vital part of the relationship
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@@ -131,7 +133,7 @@ The Executive Sponsorship Advocates are nominated senior leaders by the E-Group
### Before you begin
Create an issue using the issue template to begin the process of developing the Sponsorship Program
Create an issue in the [DIB Project](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/people-group/dib-diversity-inclusion-and-belonging/diversity-and-inclusion/-/issues/new) to begin the process of developing the Sponsorship Program
