If you consider people on a team as nodes in a graph, and lines of communication as edges, then a team of n people has potentially (n(n-1))/2 potential lines of

If you consider people on a team as nodes in a graph, and lines of communication as edges, then a team of n people has potentially (n(n-1))/2 potential lines of communication. I try to express to people that the more potential lines of communication you have, the greater the chance of miscommunication. I think this is also called out in Brooks' The Mythical Man Month.