Bad business practice: Tradition

I'm always a bit hesitant about giving management advice as it's very difficult to argue in one case versus another. Yet at times, I simply see things which bear noting. I'm all for tradition in the sense that I accept Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa,etc. (holidays), Coke associated with the colors red and white (branding), driving in the left lane (UK laws), metric versus imperial (measurement), etc. You get the point by now. Yet, "tradition" should never be used as an argument for business decisions, as in "we've always done it that way", or "it's simply tradition here". If there isn't a business case, there's no justification for it (note, I said business case....and yes, at times there is a business case for "tradition" but not as a primary driver for decisions). If you see management making these arguments, or you see them within your own organization, be afraid. It's not only bad business practice, it's a double-edged sword as it's very difficult to argue against if it's ingrained. At times, you pick your battles. If you see this "battle" coming up in a business, you may be better advised to avoid that business altogether.