How would you answer this interview question?

[Knightinslightlytarnished]

Tell us about when you were most embarrassed and how you dealt with it.

I have an interview coming up and have been told someone on the panel always asks this and I have no idea. I understand that that 'how you dealt with it' is the most important bit but I can't think of any embarrassing situations that are work appropriate.

Some minor wardrobe malfunction - mismatching socks or the like.
Or accidentally scoffing the bosses’ yoghurts because they’re similar to the ones you brought.
Lateness when very clearly entirely out of your hand ‘the one and only time, and boy how embarrassing ...’ all ideally with some twist to show of how you rescued the situation in a very professional manner

I think the ideal would be when your team stuffed up something with a client or work project. Maybe due to misunderstanding or error or unexpected change. So embarrassing to not maintain your high standards! So you worked through the weekend or were amazingly innovative or used your superb communication skills to smooth things over. And in a way, it was good the mishap happened because it was a learning experience! And led to team restructuring/ improved communication systems/ better understanding etc.

I find it very embarrassing to be in situations where I haven’t been briefed properly. So my manager asked me to go to a meeting for her but didn’t give me any of the papers that were being discussed/mention that there were papers to be discussed, just made it sound like a roundtable discussion. I was extremely embarrassed that I hadn’t read any of the material and couldn’t actually contribute in the way I was expected to. After the meeting, I discussed with my manager what had happened, how it had made me feel and what my expectations were in the future if she asked me to attend a meeting for her. I would use a situation like that rather then a situation like I sent an embarrassing email to everyone.