The three moves
Chunking up asks what is this an example of? or what's the purpose?. Each move moves toward more general categories: cars → vehicles → transport → connection. Useful when a conversation is stuck arguing over a specific detail — moving up surfaces the shared higher value that everyone is actually after.
Chunking down asks what specifically? or what's an example?. Each move moves toward more concrete instances: cars → sedans → 2018 Honda Civic → my 2018 Honda Civic with the dent. Useful when a conversation is stuck in abstractions and no one can take the next action.
Chunking laterally asks what's another example of the same general thing?. Move up one level, then back down a different branch: cars → vehicles → motorcycles. Useful when the current option isn't working and you need alternatives at the same level of specificity.
Worked example: a negotiation
Two people negotiating the price of a project. They're stuck at "$5,000" vs. "$3,500" and neither will budge.
Chunk up: "What does this number really need to do?" Maybe one party needs to cover six weeks of focused work; the other needs to fit a quarterly budget. The higher value — six weeks of focused work that fits the quarter — opens options the price-haggling couldn't.
Chunk down: If they're stuck at the abstract "fair price" level, ask "what specifically would feel fair to you?" Forcing concreteness surfaces what each party is actually evaluating.
Chunk lateral: If price won't move, lateral options at the same level — payment terms, scope, deliverable form — may resolve it.
How to develop the skill
- Listen for the level. Most conversation stays at one level. Once you can hear when someone is being specific vs. abstract, you can move them.
- Practise the question forms. "What's this an example of?" (up). "What specifically?" (down). "What's another example?" (lateral).
- Notice your own stuckness. When you're personally stuck, it's almost always at the wrong level. Practise moving yourself.
- Pair with the meta model. Meta-model questions are typically chunk-down. Combine deliberately.
Why this matters in coaching
Most coaching engagements alternate between abstraction (the goal, the vision, the meaning) and specifics (the action, the next step, the concrete behaviour). A coach who can only operate at one level loses the client. The hierarchy-of-ideas skill is what lets a coach move fluidly between vision and action without losing either.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hierarchy of ideas in NLP?
A model for moving between levels of abstraction in conversation. Chunking up moves toward more general categories ('cars' → 'vehicles' → 'transport'). Chunking down moves toward more specific instances ('cars' → 'sedans' → 'a 2018 Honda Civic'). Chunking laterally moves to a sibling at the same level ('cars' → 'motorcycles').
When do you chunk up vs. chunk down?
Chunk up when the conversation is stuck in specifics and needs perspective ('what does this all add up to?'). Chunk down when the conversation is too abstract and needs concrete next steps ('what specifically?'). Chunk lateral when you need alternatives at the same level of generality.
Is chunking the same as the meta model?
Related. The meta model is a set of questions for recovering missing information at the same level of abstraction. Chunking is moving deliberately between levels. A skilled practitioner uses both fluently — meta-model questions chunk down; abstraction questions chunk up.
Why is this useful in negotiation?
Negotiations stuck on a specific point often resolve by chunking up to a shared higher value. Negotiations stuck on abstract principles often resolve by chunking down to concrete cases. The pattern is: move to the level where agreement is possible.