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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/Strange-Floor4382 on 2024-11-14 22:41:52+00:00.

So, I work at a marketing firm, and I was recently part of a big meeting where we were discussing a new project with a potential client. It was the type of meeting where everyone’s trying to impress, and I was nervous but trying to play it cool. I’ve been at this company for a few years, but there’s this one thing I’ve always struggled with—public speaking, especially when it comes to presenting ideas in front of my boss.

The meeting started off fine, and everyone was pitching in their thoughts. Then it came to my turn, and I tried to speak confidently, like I was one of the more senior people in the room. My boss, let’s call him Dave, was sitting at the head of the table, just casually listening. I was in the middle of my pitch when I noticed he was doodling on a notepad and staring at his phone, and I assumed he wasn’t paying attention.

Instead of letting it slide, I decided to crack a joke, trying to lighten the mood and show that I wasn’t nervous. I said, “Well, I guess Dave’s just busy running the company, huh? He’s always got that CEO vibe with the phone in hand and the doodles.” I thought I was being funny—everyone else chuckled a little, but the room fell silent right after.

Turns out, Dave was paying attention, and he didn’t seem to appreciate my little jab. There was an awkward pause before he looked up from his phone and just said, “Well, someone has to be taking notes and managing things. I guess that’s why I’m the boss.”

I tried to recover by throwing in something like, “Of course, of course! You’re the real pro, Dave.” But at that point, the damage was done. Everyone else at the table was silent, and I could see them looking at me like, “What did you just do?” Dave didn’t say anything else for the rest of the meeting, and he didn’t even acknowledge me when I finished my pitch.

After the meeting, I found out through some coworkers that I’d completely messed up. Apparently, Dave had been working on a really important project for a potential investor that had been consuming his attention for weeks, and he didn’t find my “joke” funny at all. In fact, they told me he’s been known to get a little sensitive about how people perceive him in meetings, especially since he’s been under a lot of pressure.

TL;DR: Tried to crack a joke to play it cool in front of my boss and accidentally insulted him in front of the whole team, completely killing the vibe for the rest of the meeting.