Building trust between management and employees.

Edwards Deming, the father of quality management, who helped postwar Japan make its economic turnaround, taught that businesses must adopt a new philosophy. This philosophy has been called by various terms, including empowerment, teamwork, partnership and coaching. But the bottom line is trust.

As Alan Webber stated after reviewing numerous business books for the Harvard Business Review, "All of these authors agree that in the new economy, trust is a business imperative.

Trust between managers and workers opens up new avenues of contribution and responsibility on both sides.

Trust is difficult to achieve. Managers fear vulnerability, loss of control and authority, conflict and disagreement.

That is why many companies have …