Club President Manuela Krisinger introduced the Rotary Four Way Test as her Rotary Moment today at our Club meeting.
Rotary's Four Way Test of things we think, say or do is a measure Rotarians world-wide use as a moral code for personal and business relationships. These phrases set a standard for Rotarians to use in their daily decisions.
Is it the truth?
Is it fair to all concerned?
Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
In 1932, Herbert J Taylor set out to save the Club Aluminum Products distribution company from bankruptcy. He believed himself to be the only person in his company of 250 employees who had hope. His recovery plan started with changing the ethical climate of the company. He started by setting policies for the company that reflected the high ethics and morals needed in any business. Simply, if the people who worked for Club Aluminum were to think right, he knew they would do right! He assessed that the first question was barely applied in their business day-to-day operations. Rolling these ethical principles out through the whole company started a change in culture, and despite being on the verge of bankruptcy, the implementing the Four Way Test were key to business recovery and success.
In the 1940s, Taylor, as an international director of Rotary, offered the Four Way Test to Rotary as the standard by which all behaviour should be measured. The test, since then is used by Rotarians world-wide to encourage personal and business ethical practices.