Week 6 Debrief

Good week at the academy. While the presentations regarding budgeting were pretty dry, they still presented some good information. Started out with a bang with my technology presentation first thing Monday. I got really good feedback from my team, as well as other classmates, and felt really good about the presentation. Each night, several members of the class gathered in a conference room at the hotel. Even though it's just a bunch of silliness, I think it's really valuable. Some decompression time, loosening up and relaxing, while building relationships and friendships with our classmates. Unfortunately, I hit it a little hard on Wednesday night, and I think it reflected on Thursday when I did my grant proposal presentation. Considering how bad I felt, the presentation apparently went better than I thought, based on feedback from teammates and our team facilitator. Lesson learned - I'll be more careful with my evening activities during our next classroom week. Thursday night, about twenty of us gathered for dinner at Cugino's in Grand Ledge. Prior to our food arriving, we were approached by a sweet old lady, asking about what we do for a living. She assumed we were all firemen, because "you're all so big!" Someone in the group let her know we were in law enforcement, we talked for a few minutes, and she left. Later, when the bill came, the waitress informed us that a woman had picked up the tab for our entire group. Very generous, but I'm disappointed that we didn't have a chance to thank her.

What did I learn this week?
I definitely learned this week that my oral presentation skills are improving.

What could I have done differently this week that might have impacted my performance for the better?

I wish I had been in a better place on Thursday when I presented my grant proposal. Even though I was told by several classmates that the presentation went well, I know it would have been better if I hadn't been so hung over.

How will my real-world behavior change as a result of what I learned/experienced this week?
After learning the process of applying for a grant, I hope to put this knowledge to use and seek grant opportunities to help my department.