Merge branch 'reduce-async-cycles-in-review' into 'master'

Help reduce async MR review cycles by clarifying non-blocking

See merge request https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/150474



Merged-by: Suzanne Selhorn <sselhorn@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Nicolas Dular <ndular@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Ahmed Hemdan <ahemdan@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Sashi Kumar Kumaresan <skumar@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Lin Jen-Shin <jen-shin@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Javiera Tapia <jtapia@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Kassio Borges <kborges@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Brett Walker <bwalker@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Jarka Košanová <jarka@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Eugenia Grieff <egrieff@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: James Nutt <jnutt@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Terri Chu <tchu@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Allen Cook <acook@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Pedro Pombeiro <noreply@pedro.pombei.ro>
Approved-by: Douglas Barbosa Alexandre <dbalexandre@gmail.com>
Approved-by: Furkan Ayhan <furkanayhn@gmail.com>
Approved-by: Stan Hu <stanhu@gmail.com>
Approved-by: Ash McKenzie <amckenzie@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Sylvester Chin <schin@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Marc Shaw <mshaw@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Eugie Limpin <elimpin@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Michael Becker <11881043-wandering_person@users.noreply.gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Thong Kuah <tkuah@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Matthias Käppler <mkaeppler@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Patrick Bajao <ebajao@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Rémy Coutable <remy@rymai.me>
Approved-by: Mohamed Hamda <mhamda@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Halil Coban <hcoban@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Jan Provaznik <jprovaznik@gitlab.com>
Approved-by: Vasilii Iakliushin <viakliushin@gitlab.com>
Reviewed-by: Drew Blessing <drew@gitlab.com>
Co-authored-by: Doug Stull <dstull@gitlab.com>

doc/development/code_review.md

@@ -582,7 +582,12 @@ experience, refactors the existing code). Then:
   - Consider using the [Conventional Comment format](https://conventionalcomments.org#format) to
     convey your intent.
   - For non-mandatory suggestions, decorate with (non-blocking) so the author knows they can
-    optionally resolve within the merge request or follow-up at a later stage.
+    optionally resolve within the merge request or follow-up at a later stage. When the only suggestions are
+    non-blocking, move the MR onto the next stage to reduce async cycles. When you are a first round
+    reviewer, pass to a maintainer to review. When you are the final approving maintainer,
+    generate follow-ups from the non-blocking suggestions and merge or set auto-merge.
+    The author then has the option to either cancel the auto-merge by implementing the non-blocking suggestions, 
+    they provide a follow-up MR after the MR got merged, or decide to not implement the suggestions.
   - There's a [Chrome/Firefox add-on](https://gitlab.com/conventionalcomments/conventional-comments-button) which you can use to apply [Conventional Comment](https://conventionalcomments.org/) prefixes.
 - Ensure there are no open dependencies. Check [linked issues](../user/project/issues/related_issues.md) for blockers. Clarify with the authors
   if necessary. If blocked by one or more open MRs, set an [MR dependency](../user/project/merge_requests/dependencies.md).