I have a lot of experience writing phrases and phrase books. But that doesn’t mean people who haven’t written phrase books can’t help me. However, in coauthoring, one challenge has been getting people to put their own wisdom and experience into 
their contributions instead of unquestioningly following my lead .
That’s why when Diane used these words to preface her input on a phrase book she’s helping me with, I was very heartened. She said,
- I reviewed it as if it were my own. So some of my comments may be intrusive.
Her preface reflects a perfect blend of ownership and respect for the fact that it is my project. She was willing to think beyond what I had already written without negating what I had. Her comments were very useful.
Kudos to Diane and to Sharon whose input also reflects a great blend of my ideas and her own. It’s key to great collaboration.