The results of a recent national study showed that the most important quality employers look for in a prospective employee is being a good communicator. They want someone who can be effective in both oral and written communication. In written communications like letters or e-mails, you can always take your time and reread, rewrite, and edit them before sending. But you don't have that advantage most of the time when you're speaking. People who are good at public speaking project first and foremost a confidence in what they're saying, and that's something you can learn only by doing it.

Since you're looking at leading a meeting or conference of some sort and you're researching Robert's Rules of Order, the first thing on your mind is how you're going to learn the structure of your job. One effective business technique is “look at the forest, not the trees.” You can't possibly learn all of the rules in a short period — or even an extended period — of time. And it's likely you won't ever encounter some of the situations covered by the rules.

You know the goal you're after: to effectively run the meeting or conference. You know the outcome you want: to be successful. You know you have that distinctive something that made you the one others want to do the job (and yes, sometimes it's because they don't want to do it!). And finally, you are the type to want to rise to the challenge, to learn new things and be successful at them.