Have you encountered in-house SEO disasters? Well, that's a heck of problem to deal with. Kevin Ryan of The ClickZ Network has a detailed article about circumventing them all:

The Megalomaniac Entitlement Syndrome or MES (pronounced "mess") brand of evil is easily identified as the "noob" with a passion for screwing up otherwise well-intentioned plans. The "noob" is not to be confused with the other form of new player, "newb," in a particular arena who actually has intentions of getting better in a particular discipline.

A "noob" is just in the game to create chaos for the sake of his or her own ego. The megalomaniac usually carries a senior management title (hence the entitlement) and can be identified by making unusually arrogant requests of the in-house search specialist.

In-house SEO folks say the best way to counteract the effects of MES is to identify it early and treat it with a barrage of rational ideas. Sadly, many of the untreated MES afflicted end up either driving themselves or their staffs into a padded room.

Ill-informed Executive Decision Maker (IEDM). Similar to the MES entry, the IEDM (pronounced "I-idiom") is identified by making nutty decisions armed with enough information to be dangerous.

The IEDM is a massive delegator that has yet to learn the delicate art of delegating to competence, as opposed to incompetence. Counteracting the effects on an IEDM can be pretty simple. Many accept the nepotism or favoritism as a part of doing business and simply ignore the advice of said consultant while implementing their own strategic plan.

Screwball Consultant Meltdown or SCM (pronounced "scum") is an affliction of the highest order that affects many in-house SEO folks who are either duped by consultants with a great sales pitch or have consultants forced upon them by IEDM's.

SCM is a progressive disorder that usually cannot be treated with early detection. Those affected by the SCM often don't see it coming. The consultants often bypass the in-house SEO practitioner and consistently attempt to undermine their efforts by abandoning contact protocols. They reach out to senior management directly and pile on unrealistic expectations, armed with misinformation.

Matt Cutts Hater/Manipulator or MCHMr (pronounced M-C-hammer) spends all of his time reading Matt Cutts' blog and attempts to counter-engineer or circumvent the efforts of Googlers everywhere. The MCHMr views everything Google does as evil, and this psychosis has Bled into other areas of his or her life.

To date, the best way to counter the MCHMr is to stay on top of the information produced by the Google team, cross referencing the information with your own logical conclusions, and citing that information in each tactical execution.