During the last 20 years, we have seen the common sense approach to efficiency and good workmanship turn into training in Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and now LSS and the theory of constrains to improve operations. I realize that LSS and the theory of constrains are good things, but the main root cause problem is overlooked.

Today, we have different employees than we did in the 1980s and '90s. There is no job security, and many of our companies do not see any future market because of government interference in the form of excessive regulations, coupled with the high cost of doing business in the United States.

The United States government, under the cover of “universal trade agreements,” cut the backbone of industrialization out of the United States of America. It is simply cheaper to buy foreign products and services, but that’s okay because we don’t have manufacturing capacity in the United States anymore.

We have allowed trade schools to be taken out of our education system with the assumption we all need higher education. We cannot have more managers than workers! It's okay because we don’t have the jobs opportunities in the United States anymore.

Our well-meaning environmental groups intended to reduce emissions to safe levels, but took it to the extreme, which closed down our industrialization by raising the cost of doing business in the United States. It also compounded the challenges that manufacturers face when competing overseas. It's okay because we don’t have manufacturing capacity or job opportunities in the United States anymore.

You can implement all the efficiency flavors of the month you want, but it will not stick if employees are insecure. Employees are not dumb; they see what’s going on in our country and businesses. The biggest inflation in the United States industry is pride of our government, and the biggest deflation is the morale of our working citizens