In Forager, Michelle Dowd recounts surviving in the wilderness, where she sometimes had to go hungry rather than eat something that might harm her. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer teaches that sustainable foraging begins with patience, reciprocity, and careful observation of the ecosystem.
These two perspectives—survival through caution and stewardship through respect—mirror an important HR truth: rushing compensation data to managers without preparation can be just as dangerous as eating a poisonous mushroom.
The Danger of Feeding Managers Too Quickly
Many HR teams, eager to deliver solutions, push out salary ranges or market data before they’ve done the foundational work. Like a tempting but toxic plant, these numbers may look appealing, but they lack the nutrients your organization needs to thrive if they’re not grounded in:
- A clear pay philosophy
- Defined performance alignment
- Cultural readiness
- Planned communication and training
Without these elements, rushing compensation data risks confusion, inequity concerns, and erosion of trust. The intent may be good, but the execution is untested—and the consequences can be lasting.
Dowd’s Lesson: Test Before You Eat
Michelle Dowd describes testing unfamiliar wild food by taking a small bite, waiting 12 hours, and observing the effects before consuming more.
This deliberate testing mirrors best practice in compensation planning:
- Start small – Share data or changes with a pilot group, not the entire organization.
- Wait and observe – Gather candid reactions and note unintended effects.
- Refine before scaling – Adjust the approach based on real-world feedback.
In survival situations, a cautious approach can save your life. In HR, it can save your credibility and preserve your culture.
Kimmerer’s Lesson: Respect the Ecosystem
Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass offers a complementary lesson: foraging is about relationships. She teaches that we should take only what the land can give and always give something back.
In compensation terms, this means considering:
- Organizational balance – Will your data rollout disrupt harmony or foster trust?
- Reciprocity with managers – Are you equipping them with context, not just numbers?
- Long-term sustainability – Does the change align with your culture and strategic goals?
A rushed rollout may feed curiosity in the moment, but without reciprocity, it won’t sustain engagement.
Testing Pay Strategy Like a Forager Tests Food
Foragers know that nourishment isn’t just about eating—it’s about thriving over time. HR can apply this wisdom by:
- Piloting new pay structures in one department first.
- Monitoring KPIs like retention, offer acceptance rates, and employee sentiment.
- Engaging cultural barometers to ensure changes align with values.
- Educating managers on the philosophy and process before they communicate with employees.
Skipping these steps is like skipping the taste test—you may find out too late that what looked good was actually harmful.
A Decision Framework for Healthy Compensation Rollouts
Before serving up salary data, ask:
- Is the pay philosophy clear and agreed upon?
- Have performance expectations been defined?
- Have we gauged cultural readiness?
- Is our communication plan ready?
- Can we test with a small group first?
If any answer is “no,” your meal isn’t ready to serve.
Key Takeaways
- Rushing compensation data without philosophical, cultural, and performance alignment risks organizational health.
- Dowd’s survival approach teaches testing in small doses before wide adoption.
- Kimmerer’s stewardship philosophy emphasizes reciprocity and ecosystem respect.
- Pilots, observation, and refinement prevent toxic outcomes.
- True pay strategy should nourish long-term organizational wellbeing, not just satisfy immediate hunger.
Quick Implementation Checklist
- Define and document your pay philosophy
- Align leadership on performance expectations
- Assess cultural readiness for transparency
- Prepare manager communication and training
- Run a pilot with a small group
- Gather feedback and refine before rollout
MorganHR’s Point of View
At MorganHR, we believe compensation data should be delivered like a forager gathers food—carefully selected, thoughtfully prepared, and tested for safety. Whether your approach is about survival in tight market conditions or stewardship of a thriving organizational culture, the goal is the same: nourish your ecosystem, don’t poison it.