One of Kevin Kelly's 'Nine Laws of God' is the idea that nature "grows by chunking". Simple systems grow over time into complex systems. Time allows all the parts in the system to test themselves against all the others to achieve a dynamic balance that can deal with constant change.

For example, I have just built a new website using Joomla code. The site is assembled incrementally from simple modules that can operate independently, but are brought together in different combinations to create thye level of complexity needed to connect the content in a varirty of different ways to meet the needs of the user.

The complexity cannot be controlled from the top-down it must be done incrementally from the bottom-up. When organisations or departments merge if the logic is imposed from the top it inevitably fails. To thing that one big brain can figure out the complex interconnections is misguided. It is better to distribute the task to local agents and allow them to work on each part and connect them in ways that are mutually beneficial.

Levels and Dimensions of Chunking
Chunking is a way of getting at the size of an issue in aneffort to decide where to start so that some degree of control can be achieved.Some people like to "chunk-up" to get an overview or see their goal as part of a bigger picture. Small chunkers like to get at the detail first, before they consider what it all adds up to. You can also chunk sideways or think laterally about something that is similar.

Take clothes for example:

To chunk up - would be to address issues of appearance, budget available, prefered designers, etc.
To chunk down - would be to look at specific types of clothing - socks, dresses, etc.
To chunk sideways - would be to consider linked items such as shoes, accessories, jewelry, etc.

A Change Coach may start by encouraging the client to chunk up and down to clarify their goals and find a level that is meaningful and on which they can take action.

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