Businesses tend to have a low tolerance for bad ideas, so it's important to know how to recognize them before they do damage, advises Donn DiNunno, quality director at the consulting firm EM&I. DiNunno outlines 10 bad ideas and attitudes that may sound all too familiar, in a post at CIOUpdate.

Holding on to the past, trying to return to the past, compromising values and throwing money at problems tend to be fairly recognizable as bad ideas. But seeking more support from above, avoiding confrontation and relying on experts are also attitudes that can get you in trouble, DiNunno warns. 

Instead of trying to minimize issues with the boss or peers, it's better to explain to them the consequences of ignoring the issues. "Face it: Other people don't see the world as you do," DiNunno writes. "Engaging others in a discussion of viewpoints and initiating joint problem solving can be a way of getting others to come up with your ideas as if they were their own." 

As for experts, it doesn't hurt to seek their advice, but they shouldn't be relied on entirely. "The problem here is that most consultants, books, and articles provide solutions that don't account for any specifics of your situation or your company. Theory is a good place to start but it's not practical or tactical," DiNunno advises.

Technology also can be a bad idea, if it is viewed as the solution to a problem. It can be beneficial, obviously, but only as a means of delivering on a value proposition that has been established, DiNunno writes. 

For more:
- see Donn DiNunno's post at CIOUpdate

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