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

These skills were always necessary, however they were not always seen as such. In the XIXth century, self marketing could be reduced to marketing one's family and parentage; in fact the entrance exam to the French diplomatic service could be passed or failed depending on how one answered the trick question: "Was it your lady mother that I met at the park last week?“. At the same time, the absence of employee rights reduced the other relevant elements of the ECo-C to necessities: the vast majority of the population was, at an early age, given the choice between using them or starving.

Some might deplore those "good old times“... And yet, the truth of the matter is elsewhere: Just like the recognition of employee rights was important, the skills that the ECo-C focuses on are necessary. But the former made them go from survival skills to competencies that distinguish the best. In a society that seeks to label everything, from a young man's awesome skills as a waiter to a young governess' abilities, it was 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 "homo loquens“ from the "homo loquax“, the "chattering man“, and deal with the long-held prejudice that "communicative“ and „chatty“ are synonyms.

That is not to say there is no part that chatter, discussion, and open statements can play in communication. In fact, the news page that you are presently reading positions itself at that exact crossroads between information and discussion. It is intended to keep the public updated about relevant developments, as well as discuss and debate related topics, of interest to both ECo-C certified professionals, those who wish to become it, and those who wish to hire them... or simply find out more about this innovative and useful professional certification.