Collaborate with others

I need to invite the whole writing group to collaborate on the draft before Wednesday. Share the document with Ana, Marcus, and the research assistants with Can comment for Ana and Can edit for Marcus and the assistants; include a short message asking them to focus on clarity in the Introduction and to use suggestions, and set the share expiry for two weeks from today.

Before I send the invite to the team, reduce friction so they actually contribute. Put an agenda at the top with three specific asks: tighten the first paragraph, check citations in paragraph three, and flag any jargon. Add a version note with what I changed last and a short guide on how to suggest edits so reviewers know where to add tracked suggestions rather than rewriting the whole section.

I gave Marcus and the assistants edit rights and now two different rewrites of the Introduction have appeared; Ana is frustrated because she loses her comments in-line. I am worried about version chaos and offending people. What's the best immediate fix to preserve everyone’s work, restore order, and give a clear collaboration protocol so changes stop colliding?

Every deadline the document becomes a battlefield: simultaneous edits, lost comments, and personal edits that bypass the agreed process, which undermines trust and slows approvals. What collaboration habit or small process change should I enforce so the group contributes constructively and we stop wasting time reconciling versions?