Adult stutter...AIBU

[Yoyooo]

I have always had speech problems, but now I'm in my 30s the issues are few and far between.

I have been with my current company for 4 years and often do presentations, but today I stuttered really badly during a presentation to clients. I managed to rescue it and completed the presentation, but I am feeling so embarrassed by my stutter.

This is the first time my bosses and team have been aware of any speech difficulties.

My stutter is the kind where I can't get any words out, I struggled for about 15 seconds and then carried on. No one has mentioned anything yet about the stutter but everyone has said how good the presentation was.

AIBU for being embarrassed by this and feeling it will impact my work/what my clients and bosses think about me? I am worried my bosses will be reluctant in trusting me in front of PowerPoint again and it will harm any potential career progression.

You say work aren't aware, and that everyone said how good the presentation was.

Even without a stutter, anyone can freeze suddenly under pressure, but you recovered and delivered a great presentation. That is the sign of a good presenter, and what your bosses will remember. If you crumbled and fled from the room crying I could see why you would be worried about future powerpoints but to be honest I think you should be proud of yourself, not embarrassed.

Speak to them about it and just be honest if you're worried, you should not be embarrassed at all though, quite the opposite. If someone in your position told you they had a life long stutter that only affected them rarely now, or some other disability/difficulty they had mostly overcome what would you think of them? Be proud of yourself, it sounds like you're good at your job so be confident and trust yourself - don't start doubting your abilities now. xxx

Thanks for your kind words. It has just made my confidence plummet and I am so worried what they think of me.

I spoke to my line manager (who wasn't on the call - it was zoom btw) and she said if it happened to someone else would I have minded? Well no - but I'm not the boss or the client.

@Yoyooo

Thanks for your kind words. It has just made my confidence plummet and I am so worried what they think of me.

I spoke to my line manager (who wasn't on the call - it was zoom btw) and she said if it happened to someone else would I have minded? Well no - but I'm not the boss or the client.

Try not to worry. As I said upthread, it's so easy to screw up a presentation, panic, freeze, forget what you were saying halfway through a sentence happened to me - but it's how you recover that's important. You've shown everyone how you perform under pressure, and that you do perform; you don't crumble.

Your line manager is right too. Please try and see this as a positive. You got thrown a curveball and dealt with it effectively and everyone said it was a great presentation