Ethics & Principles for Collaboration

We believe return-on-investment (ROI) analysis should account for all environmental and community impacts, but we acknowledge that some projects generate a degree of unavoidable negative impact. Though we support investments that advance the transition from the overuse of fossil fuels, petrochemicals, and water, we acknowledge the real-world challenges that can arise on the journey to a cleaner economy. We guide our clients and communities to align their planning and investment horizons with the sensible evolution of these markets.

There are four steps to evaluating every project for alignment with these values and goals:

1. We catalog each project’s commodities, activities, and impacts.
2. We conduct thorough research to gain an understanding of all financial, environmental, and community impacts.
3. We share our findings with the team and stakeholders to invite all perspectives.
4. Together, we decide how to properly influence the project’s sustainability.

We hold ourselves accountable to future generations by working only on projects that align with a sustainable environment and healthy communities.

Principles for Collaboration

Collaboration and Coordination
OTNA supports thoughtful collaboration with helpful competition. It is commonly believed that including many stakeholders hinders progress. In fact, inviting diversity leads to imaginative and intelligent results. When it comes to collective intelligence, more is truly the merrier.

Assume Responsibility
We are responsible for the quality of our relationships. In each conversation, we relate in ways that advance mutual learning by recognizing the strengths and perspectives of others.

Be Accountable
Only make promises you intend to keep. Include a completion time. At first, we may face barriers to accomplishing new tasks. These challenges are a function of our commitment, not our lack of commitment. Stay in the game!

Engage in Integrative Dialogue
Integrative dialogue transcends conventional debate, where either/or and right/wrong interactions marginalize many valuable perspectives. We work together to synergize and foster new understandings, especially when seemingly opposing points of view are expressed,.

Ask Questions
Asking questions when writing and speaking opens up new thinking and fosters new ideas. Though statements tend to portray concerns as intractable problems, asking questions has the power to produce results.

Thrive at the Edge of Learning
What we are doing is unprecedented and requires us to continually learn. External change happens when we expand our receptiveness to new ideas. Bring it on!

Embrace Knowledge Sharing
Share rather than withhold information, ideas, and wisdom to create a world that works for all. Sharing accelerates productivity. It is time to scale-up our collective intelligence.

Celebrate and Energize
Leaning into positivity is vitally important to any concerted effort. We value each other’s participation and communicate our appreciation.

Lead from Community
Initiatives succeed when strong leadership stands for results and represents the community’s best interests. We advise project developers to interact proactively with community leaders as influential partners.

Embrace Whole-System Thinking
OnTrackNorthAmerica champions programs, policies, and planning that advance system-wide benefits and multimodal transportation.

Step into IntelliSynthesis^®
IntelliSynthesis is the logic and intelligence all around us but so often hidden from view by posturing, positioning, and politicizing. When we engage with others in the community’s best interest, collective intelligence naturally moves us toward solutions that work for everyone.