Etymologically,"communication“ comes from "communicare“, which means"to make common“; to inform, impart, unite, join andparticipate in.These words, although purely definitional, sum up theECo-C itself. Self marketing is informing others about yourself.Communication imparts knowledge. Conflict management is about unitingdivided people and opinions, whereas teamwork aims to join a varietyof views and perspectives under the aegis of a single team.

These skillswere always necessary, however they were not always seen as such. Inthe XIXth century, self marketing could be reduced to marketing one'sfamily and parentage; in fact the entrance exam to the Frenchdiplomatic service could be passed or failed depending on how oneanswered the trick question: "Was it your lady mother that I metat the park last week?“. At the same time, the absence of employeerights reduced the other relevant elements of the ECo-C tonecessities: the vast majority of the population was, at an earlyage, given the choice between using them or starving.

Some mightdeplore those "good old times“... And yet, the truth of thematter is elsewhere: Just like the recognition of employee rights was important, the skills that the ECo-C focuses on are necessary. Butthe former made them go from survival skills to competencies that distinguishthe best. In a society that seeks to label everything, from a youngman's awesome skills as a waiter to a young governess' abilities, itwas time for a certificate to recognise the intangible, immaterial,yet absolutely indispensable communication skills. More importantly,it was time for a certificate to differentiate the "homoloquens“ from the "homo loquax“, the "chattering man“,and deal with the long-held prejudice that "communicative“ and„chatty“ are synonyms.

That is notto say there is no part that chatter, discussion, and open statementscan play in communication. In fact, the news page that you arepresently reading positions itself at that exact crossroads betweeninformation and discussion. It is intended to keep the public updatedabout relevant developments, as well as discuss and debate relatedtopics, of interest to both ECo-C certified professionals, those whowish to become it, and those who wish to hire them... or simply findout more about this innovative and useful professional certification.