3: The Penny Exercise
As we have covered in this course, a great deal of informal LMI information is hidden in plain sight. Developing our awareness of this information is the focus of the Penny Exercise.
The Penny Exercise was developed by Gray Poehnell and Norm Amundson, two of Canada’s most recognized career development experts. It is published in their book Hope-Filled Engagement and is adapted below with permission from the authors. This activity can be done 1-1 with an individual client or with a group of clients.
The Canadian penny left circulation in 2012. For those who remember using it, it was a standout in our change purses or pockets because of its copper colour. Other than its colour, it wasn’t something that one thought about too much. But, when you look closely, there is a lot to see.
First Observations
Look at this image of a penny. In the space below, write down your initial observations.
On first glance, many observe things like the maple leaf, the cameo of Queen Elizabeth, and the year of printing.
Second Observations
Now look at the same image again. This time, click the image to zoom in on it and look more closely.
Can you make more granular observations on closer look?
- What do you notice about the Queen’s hair, clothing, jewelry?
- What do you notice about her forehead, lips, cheeks, neck?
- What about the maple leaf? How many leaves are visible?
Click the image to zoom in
Compare Observations
Review your first observations against the list you made after zooming in.
- How many more things did you observe on closer inspection than were seen when you first glanced at the image of the penny?
- Did the follow-up questions in the second step prompt you to look more closely and make more observations?
In their book, Hope-Filled Engagement, Gray Poehnell and Norm Amundson recount how groups of students found over 200 observations when participating in the Penny Exercise.By using an observe-question-observe-question technique to prompt more and deeper observations, the exercise highlights how there is often much more information available through observation that may be apparent at first glance.
If using this activity, you may want to download this Questions on a Penny resource to prompt additional questions as you and your client or group explore and observe.
The Penny Exercise can be used by CDPs when working with individual clients or groups of clients to examine both informal LMI and formal LMI to develop a fuller understanding of the labour market and to glean possible opportunities. Because informal LMI is all around us, we can easily walk right by it without noticing. If we are observant and ask questions, a wealth of LMI surrounds us daily.
