Have you ever been straight forward with your leadership regarding a bad idea or decision?

One day after having been roaming around Baghdad with the troops while they installed blocking positions all night the Commander ambushed me for an opinion on an upcoming operation in the conference room with everyone and their mother present,(we usually pitched developmental stuff with just the BC,XO and S3 and the conversations were brutally honest and frank) my arse was dragging and instead of constructive points I blurted out " that's the dumbest shit I ever heard sir " you could hear crickets chirping in texas and the BC looked like I kicked him in the nuts, I immediately felt like crap because the BC was an awesome leader.
Instead of getting pissed, the old man turned and said that's why he's the CSM, now where do you think it's assed up. Never skipped a beat, gave me an opportunity to snap out of drag ass mode and positively contribute to the plan.
That's just one of many instances, and the only one I ever felt bad about. NCOs owe it to their counter parts to be frank, honest and respectful about visits from the good idea fairy and dumb or risky plans, policies or TTPs.
Just remember they don't have to like, implement or incorporate your input and once the decision is made it's your job to aggressively implement what ever they come up with as if you owned it.

LTJG (Join to see) In my civilian job, you did not bring problems up to management without presenting a solution. If you are going to point out a bad decision, it is better to present an alternative idea that is better than the original.

Yes, and as Sgt Theodore Hallock stated, it gains more ground with a solution too. I have received mixed results. Mostly based on who I am presenting it to. I have trouble sugaring something up. I tend to just be point blank about it. "This is what is wrong, this is why it is wrong, and this is my solution." However, some individuals let their feelings, pride, ego, or whatever the case may be get in the way of the words I am saying. They either get offended that an E4 is telling an E6 or higher that "I know you are new here, and I have been here for 2 years through many leaders but what you are wanting to do-we have done before and it failed." You would think I had just called them the crappiest NCO in the entire military. I have had other SNCOs who took what I said only listened to the words, gave me better guidance on how to present it to the next person (if it was something that I had to present), and backed me 100%.

If your post on here is to gain ideas on how to handle being told that your idea is wrong, then my advice would be this: as difficult as it can be at times, try not to take the news personally. It may not be a personal attack and I would venture to say that most of the time it won't be. If the person talking to you is a blunt person, or struggles with tact, just listen to the situation and the meaning of the words. On the flip side of this, be wary of those who constantly praise you for your work. Yeah we all do good things and occasionally we do a great thing, but no one is perfect and no one makes 100% good decisions. If you are getting only praise you should be asking yourself, what do these people want from me or what are they trying to slip past me.

Absolutely.

As an officer, you bet. If any ideas were presented that violated the UCMJ or resulted in a danger to the soldiers affected they I would always bring the situation to light.
Probably didn't help my OER but it made me honest and straight forward. Had an LTC who was taking over the battalion tell me that out of all the offers of the staff that reported to him, I was the most professional and straight forward. No smoking or joking around like the others.

Before the 1992 presidential election, while I was in the Navy Reserves, the Navy decided it was going to take a survey of all its members to see who was registered to vote. This was not anonymous, but an individual by individual question. The CO announced it a morning roll call, and went sailor by sailor asking if they were registered. I refused to answer. He asked why. I said that was outside the Navy boundaries. The right to vote is a private right, not to be bandied about willy nilly on an involuntary basis. Anything associated with that right is also protected under that right. He said he could order me to answer the question. I responded fine, and I'll refuse to answer and put you on report for issuing an illegal order. That's going to look worse on an O-6 record that it will on an E-6 one. He backed down and dropped the issue. I am sure he put me down later on his own as being registered.

Yes

It’s wonderful when a leader facilitates a command climate for honesty and candor, modeling they can handle feedback themselves.

One particular situation reflecting this was at a meeting with the BN CDR & CSM, CO CDR & 1SG, PA and I had to discuss the care plan for a Soldier had been sexually assaulted the day prior. The BC quickly laid out a care plan that was well meaning trying to give maximum care a deference to the Soldier. But with my role, having training, worked with victims, and knowing the Soldier, I knew the steps discussed would further isolate the individual and remove
much of the individual’s structure and purpose—exacerbating the situation. When the BC finished, I blurted out, “Sir, that’s a terrible idea!” He looked at me for a moment then asked, “Ok, Chaplain, what should we do?”
From there I walked the dog with what counseling and care for trauma victims normally looks like, what we knew the Soldier needed at that time, and what the Soldier would likely encounter and need in the coming months. We collaborated on a plan and moved out to support and care for the Soldier.

There are times when we have to stand up to leaders who need but don’t want our feedback. It’s great when leaders welcome constructive feedback. That BC was especially good at receiving input, modeling what it is to listen to your team, look at what’s provided, and come to a decision—and not having to be the leader with all the answers. This is one situation of many where he modeled this well. He made positive waves throughout the organization’s command climate and facilitated subordinates learning to do likewise.

Yes, repeatedly as a Forensic Science Officer. Often high ranking folks did not know what forensics or advanced proven science techniques could do to resolving a crime. Yes, in an arson of a dorm on a base with 450 persons living in the dorm, we can identify who set the fire. Yes, with 300 potential witnesses to an international terrorist attack, we can identify who saw something quickly.

When I was a Corporal, I was a squad leader in an infantry heavy machinegun platoon. The platoon leader was an obnoxious clown who thought he knew things. During an exercise, he told me to set up a squad ambush against a company sized force. I told bbn him, respectfully, that it was a bad idea, as we wouldn't be able to hit and run. He had the nerve to call me a coward. I told him that one of us knows what we are supposed to do, lieutenant, and that person is me. He was super excited pissed, but he never spoke to me again. I finished my enlistment (my 2nd) just in time to find out that he would not be retained as a Marine Corps officer. I guess I was right.