Developed RMA as a Variant of AMA (Ask Me Anything)
RMA (Request Me Anything) is a model where managers primarily accept any request from their staff or subordinates by saying "Feel free to request anything."
The benefit is that it maximizes contributions by responding to the needs on the member's side. From the perspectives of DevEx and DevRel, this approach is crucial. Instead of forcing ideals onto the team, managers respond to requests from the members, thus increasing their contribution in a more realistic way. You could even say it's akin to servant leadership.
How to Implement It
There are both synchronous and asynchronous methods.
In Synchronous Settings, Conduct It as a Meeting
- Conduct a meeting solely dedicated to accepting requests.
- Divide the meeting into slots.
- Each slot should be 1 to 3 minutes.
- Each slot accepts one request from one person.
- Within each slot, complete the "request explanation" and "initial response."
- Continuously rotate the slots.
- For instance, if each slot is 3 minutes and the meeting is 45 minutes long, theoretically, you can respond to 15 requests.
We also created a concept similar for AMA, which you might want to check out: 👉️MAMA (Meeting as an AMA) - DEV Community
In Asynchronous Settings, Categorization is advisable
In asynchronous settings, if it is free-form, it may impose a high load on both the sender and the receiver, so it's better to categorize.
I often propose the Five Category system as a preliminary suggestion. As shown below, it groups main requests and should be easier to use than free-form formats.
- 1: Please approve.
- 2: Please share.
- 3: Please coordinate.
- 4: Please escalate.
- 5: Please respond.
For categories 1: to 4:, the manager who receives the request will take actions accordingly. For approval, they might approve it through some system or convey the approval via chat, for sharing, they will disseminate specific information, and for coordination, they will probably interact or collaborate with other internal or external individuals. For escalation, they will report to their own boss, such as a senior engineer, management, or organization head. Everything else, including "other" items, falls under 5:, for which only a response is required.
To establish the Five Category system, using no-code or low-code solutions is recommended. For instance, set up a form for RMA requests from members and channel those submissions to a chat channel for managers. Responses can be handled on the chat messages themselves. Of course, integration with GitHub Issues is also fine. Regardless of the method, make sure to at least standardize the requested content and its response as the SSoT (Single Source of Truth).
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