Communication Planning
n(n-1)/2
Channels Formula
Counts potential communication channels
3
Methods
Interactive, Push, Pull
45
10-Person Channels
Add one person and you gain 10 channels
one more person explodes the complexity
n(n − 1)/2 Curve
Channels grow quadratically. That is why small teams communicate easily and large teams drown.
channels = n × (n − 1) / 2
Three Methods · Direction of Flow
Interactive
two-way, real-time
Meetings, calls, video. Best for sensitive, complex, or urgent topics.
Push
one-way, broadcast
Email, reports, memos. Best for routine updates.
Pull
recipient-initiated
Wikis, dashboards, repositories. Best for reference content.
Exam Traps
The formula counts potential, not required channels
n(n-1)/2 shows how complexity grows, not how many conversations you must have. Answers that interpret it as required comms are wrong.
Push is not interactive
Email and reports are push — one-way delivery. If the exam asks for the best method for sensitive or complex information, the answer is interactive (face-to-face or meeting).
Information radiators are public
Kanban boards, burndown charts, and team dashboards are information radiators. They display status, not confidential information. Answers that treat them as private are wrong.
Complex or sensitive = interactive
Any question about conveying emotion, negotiating, or resolving misunderstanding leads to face-to-face or video, never email.
Complexity explodes fast
10 people = 45 channels. 11 people = 55 channels. That is 10 more channels from ONE person.
Match method to content
Urgent or emotional → interactive. Reference → pull. Broadcast → push.
You and one friend have one conversation going. Simple.
You + A, you + B, A + B. Add a person and the conversations multiply.
n(n-1)/2 = 10 × 9 / 2 = 45. That is why big group chats become chaos.
Going from 10 to 11 adds 10 more channels. That is why adding stakeholders is not free.
Ready to test your PMP knowledge?
1,800 practice questions written by certified professionals.
Start Practicing PMP