The Four Way Test

The Four Way Test did not originate in Walgreens but it has been part of our company for over fifty years.  It was written by Herb Taylor, a fellow Rotarian friend of Chuck Walgreen, in 1932 during the height of the Great Depression. Herb had been appointed by creditors to save a large Chicago company facing bankruptcy. Herb spoke of how he came to write it:

“To win our way out of this situation, I reasoned we must be morally and ethically strong. I knew that in right there was might. I felt that if we could get out our employees to think right they would do right. We needed some sort of ethical yardstick that everybody in the company could memorize and apply to what we thought, said, and did in our relations to others.

“So one morning I leaned over on my desk, rested my head in my hands. In a few moments, I reached for a white paper card and wrote down that which had come to me – in twenty-four words.”

Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

It was not written not so much as a set of ironclad rules to call each other out when they fall short but instead as a means of self-analysis for each person in his or her conduct.  

The Test gained widespread use throughout Herb’s company and it prospered.  It became the official slogan of Rotary International in 1942 and is recited in each Rotary meeting today throughout the world. Herb gave his good friend, Chuck Walgreen, permission to use it at Walgreens and it became “official” in 1955.

Some say that it is quaint or outdated.  Occasionally, it is thrown up as “evidence” when someone objects to a decision.  Others question why do we put ourselves to such scrutiny. I am proud that we do even if we may fall short on occasion.

Twenty-four words to guide us in how we make decisions, deal with our customers and how we treat others. Powerful and timeless.