Deming’s Seven Deadly Diseases of Management

Lack of constancy of purpose
Emphasis on short term profits (Overreaction to short term variation is harmful to long term success. With such focus on relatively unimportant short term results focus on constancy of purpose is next to impossible.)
Evaluation of performance, merit rating or annual review (see: Performance Without Appraisal: What to do Instead of Performance Appraisals by Peter Scholtes).
Mobility of top management (too much turnover causes numerous problems)
Running a company on visible figures alone (many important factors are “unknown and unknowable.” This is an obvious statement that runs counter to what some incorrectly claim Deming taught – that you can only manage what you measure. Deming did not believe this and if fact saw it as a deadly disease of management)
Excessive medical costs
Excessive legal damage awards swelled by lawyers working on contingency fees