One of the best ways to grow as a professional is to get direct feedback, rather than indirect feedback via surveys or infrequent performance reviews.  However, asking for feedback can be awkward.  I mean, it’s not a common phrase in daily conversation to go up to someone and say “Hi, I’d like to get some feedback on my presentation back there.”   

Near the end of my graduate summer internship at Intel Capital, my boss Nancy Kamei, asked me to present a dry-run of my investment thesis to her prior to going in front of the investment committee.  Having won a few debate competitions in the past, I didn’t think there was much to this and presented the deck and materials I knew cold.  I was stunned when she said to me “that was quite bad.  You are not ready at all.”