Lessons · Project management · communication channels

Communication channels: why a bigger team is much harder to keep in step

The number of one-to-one channels among n people is n(n − 1) / 2, and it grows much faster than the team.

Hone is a place to practise a career, one idea a day. This is one of its lessons, written out in full and free to read without an account.

What it is for

Two people were added to a team of six, and suddenly nobody knows what anyone else is doing. Six people had 15 conversations to keep straight; eight have 28. The team grew by a third and the talking nearly doubled. The formula is why the stand-up and the status report exist.

How to think about it

Count everyone who has to stay informed, including yourself. Multiply by one less than that, and halve it. When the number passes about 20, stop relying on conversations and put a written rhythm in place.

Worked example

Team of 6: 6 × 5 / 2 = 15 channels

Fifteen pairs who might need to talk.

Team of 8: 8 × 7 / 2 = 28 channels

Two more people, thirteen more channels.

Team of 12: 12 × 11 / 2 = 66 channels

Twice the team of six, more than four times the channels.

Your turn

A team of 10, including you. Write the number of channels.

10 ×  / 2 = 45

The trap

Forgetting yourself in the count. The project manager is a node like any other, and often the busiest one.

Practise communication channels on HoneA question on it now, a coding challenge where there is one, and it is remembered for review. Free, no email needed.