Communicating to different audiences on topical European issues

1. Communicating to different audienceson topical European issues How to bring the message across effectively Pascal Hildebert & Marcello Mereu European Commission, 17 March 2006

2. Agenda • Introduction and the concept of culture • Adapting communication to target groups and individuals according to their “culture” • Styles and techniques to enhance our communication • Preparation of presentations • Presentation time • Debriefing exercise • Conclusion

3. A little bit of morning humour… Heaven is the place where: The French are the cooks The Swiss are the bankers The British are the police The Italians are the lovers And everything is organised by the Germans

4. A little bit of morning humour… Hell is the place where: The French are the bankers The Swiss are the lovers The British are the cooks The Germans are the police And everything is organised by the Italians

5. Why is it funny? Our brain works through categorisations and attributions Stereotypes = exaggerated categorisations (labelling)

6. Careful though… International versus Intercultural

7. Levels of culture (Hofstede) • National • Regional, Religious, Linguistic • Gender, Sexual Orientation • Generational • Social Origin, Degree of Education, Occupation • Corporate Level • Hobbies and pastimes • Etc.

8. Schein’s onion THE LAYERS OF CULTURE Behaviours Norms Basic Assumptions Beliefs Values Symbols

9. Different perceptions • The various levels of culture influence our perception of reality. • Different perceptions of reality generate opinions. • Investigating these perceptions can avoid a number of conflicts and misunderstandings.

10. Communication styles & techniques: How to investigate perceptions: • Active listening/Rephrasing • Open questions/Never Assume Always Ask • Body language & Mirroring

11. Preparation of presentations (45 minutes) • The whole group is divided in 4 groups according to their target group and their language. • For each target audience, on a flipchart paper, the trainers will have outlined a few guidelines on how to approach the target audience. • Every group is sub-divided in 4 smaller groups. • The small groups have to prepare a 5 minute presentation of the EU enlargement for the target audience. • Each small group presents to the other three in their larger group.

12. Target audiences • A middle-age couple from a working-class background, maybe plumbers, fearing losing their jobs because of the invasion of outer Europeans. You meet them at an information fair. • A group of recently hired staff from a local or regional government, around 25-35 years old. You meet them at a training session for new staff. • School pupils 13-14 years old. You visit them at their schools and want to raise awareness of EU enlargement. • Canadian university students, 23-24 years old, about to graduate touring Europe. Interested in information about EU. You meet during their visit to Europe.

13. General guidelines for each subgroup • Focus on the needs of the target audience • Identify key messages related to the target group • Ask the audience to share their view/vision on enlargement • Adapt language and vocabulary • Make “cultural” references • Listen to and observe body language, facial expressions and reactions

14. And now… IT’S BREAK TIME (15 MINUTES SHARP!!!)

15. Presentations (45 minutes) • All groups present in their larger groups • 20 minute discussion on 3 key questions: • What were the main difficulties you encountered during the exercise? • How did you determine the key messages adapted to your target audience? • What are the skills you found most difficult to make use of or apply?

16. Conclusion (30 minutes) • Each large group presents a short summary of their discussions around the 3 key questions in the plenary session. • Overall conclusion and wrap-up