…and rooted in science

You may have noticed our tag line: “creatively quirky and rooted in science”. Maybe it’s why you’re here, or maybe you just want to learn a bit more about how we do things. 

The Vermillion approach is all about learning that sticks. We’ve studied the science behind communication and successful learning to develop an approach that works time after time. 

How many of you have been on a training day and spent the entire time zoning out as someone talks you through far too many slides?

You’ve been there. I’ve been there. It’s no fun at all. But there is a more effective way.

For us to learn and remember what we’ve learnt, we need to be engaged at a deeper level. That’s where experiential learning comes in. Rather than just learning about theory and concepts, you put these into practice - you learn by doing. 

This hands-on approach engages multiple senses, ensuring we retain the knowledge and acquire the skills through working through real-world scenarios. 

This way we use not only our critical thinking, but also our social skills with collaboration and communication, and emotional and behavioural skills through shared experience, teamwork, and hands-on practice. You work on challenges which you encounter at work. Feedback is immediate and there are also opportunities for reflection, which means that the learning can sink in and also boost your confidence, ensuring that any new skills are embedded and readily applicable.

At Vermillion we use coaching, practical workshops, role play and interactive scenarios, which are based on forum theatre. 

This type of theatre was developed in Brazil by the theatre practitioner, Augusto Boal, who used it as a socio-political tool, travelling round the country to perform in rural communities. He looked at issues that were affecting the people, such as social injustice, and got them involved in the action, to come up with answers themselves.

It’s this use of collective knowledge to solve problems that we’ve found to be a powerful tool for professional development. We take an issue that is particular to the company we’re working with and create a scenario. This is played out and the audience can then stop the action at any point and decide on how things can be changed. 

But, as in life, you can’t change other people’s behaviour, only your own, and so the audience can only redirect the actions of the central character, the protagonist. They have agency to decide on the course of the scene, stopping it at any point and suggesting different words and actions to change the outcome. This can be done from their seat, or, if they feel brave enough, by coming up and replacing the protagonist.

What’s the science behind this?

The experiential part of learning means that the neurotransmitters dopamine, endorphins, serotonin and oxytocin are released. Dopamine is to do with feeling motivated by the promise of reward. As a study carried out in the Netherlands in 2023 concluded, “sustained dopamine levels may be an intermediate between learning and action, conceptually related to the motivation to generate a reward-achieving action”. 

It is released when learning is engaging, novel or rewarding and motivation increases, which solidifies new knowledge and encourages further study. Serotonin, on the other hand, helps to regulate learning speed and flexibility, making us consider long-term consequences, not just immediate rewards. It’s basically the sustainer and finisher, whilst dopamine is the ideator and instigator. 

Added to this, with serotonin, the more that’s released the more you learn, giving you a positive attitude towards learning. Endorphins are the body’s natural analgesic. We know how they’re released when you exercise, particularly with cardiovascular exercise, so that you get a feeling of euphoria. But they’re also triggered when you smile or laugh with others. So experiential learning with its emphasis on bringing fun into learning, plus its collaborative approach, triggers endorphins which lead to happier, less stressed employees who thrive and are more productive. 

Lastly oxytocin, known as the love hormone because of its effects on psychological wellbeing and emotional bonding, but recently found also to affect learning and memory (Matsuda, Tokyo University of Science, Feb. 2024). It can be triggered by touch, even a handshake, but also by collaborating in a group as you listen to each other and experience increased feelings of trust and empathy. By giving each other attention, through making eye contact and truly listening, you are activating oxytocin.

The triggering of these neurotransmitters means that through experiential learning you are creating a dynamic and more fun working environment for skill development and deep-learning retention. There isn’t the same passive observation as with a PowerPoint presentation, but active problem-solving with hands-on learning. You use critical-thinking, collaboration, and adaptability - all of which are key competencies in the workplace.

Working through the issue, participants can see the direct impact of their actions, which not only solidifies learning but also boosts confidence and motivation. It also facilitates personalised learning, allowing individuals to reflect on their experiences, identify areas for improvement, and tailor their approach to specific situations. Furthermore, it strengthens teams as the learning concentrates on enhancing interpersonal skills and growth mindset through collaboration and communication and fostering a culture of shared learning and continuous improvement.

To put it simply, the Vermillion approach takes a scientific understanding of hormones in our body and how these impact our retention to develop coaching programmes that work - to transform your communication in the long term. It’s creative. It’s quirky. It’s rooted in science.