The Black Hole Of Questions (BHOQ): Questions and Answers in Satisfying Communication

Communication is the lifeblood of a relationship, whether the relationship is professional or personal. The Black Hole Of Questions (BHOQ) is a construct developed by the author to describe a communication phenomenon that can negatively impact personal and professional relationships. Specifically, the BHOQ refers to the void into which questions posed by one interactive partner to another disappear.

This is primarily an email or written communication phenomenon, which results in dissonance for the relational partner posing the unanswered question. Perhaps you have experienced a situation where you have asked a colleague, friend, or relational partner a question via email or letter, and although you receive a response to the email or letter, you receive no response or acknowledgment that you ever asked the question. Consider how you felt when your request for information, clarification, etc. was seemingly ignored?Any negativity you might have felt as a result of having your question ignored is understandable.

Effects of the BHOQ
It takes effort to communicate, to ask questions, and we generally have good reasons for the questions we ask. If individuals to whom we address questions appear unable or unwilling to take the time or make the effort to respond to our questions, then our efforts seem in vain. The recipient of a question who fails to answer it sends a message, however unintentionally, to the individual who asked the question which says, in essence, "Neither you nor your question is worthy of the time and energy it would take to acknowledge or answer your question." Receipt of such a message is not likely to enhance the state of a relationship, regardless of the relationship's nature.

Yet, to accept such a message as the intended message without additional efforts to seek clarification would be a communicative failure on the part of the interactive partner who asked the question, because there may be various reasons for the failure to answer or acknowledge the question. Perhaps the question wasn't answered because the individual to whom it was posed was not in a position to read the correspondence fully. Perhaps he/she read the correspondence thoroughly, but forgot to answer the question, or believes that he/she has already answered the question. Regardless of the reasons, the failure to get an answer to a posed question represents a breakdown in communication between the parties involved, and can cause subtle and negative changes in the quality and experience of a relationship.

Eradicating the BHOQ
Both parties in interaction can take action to eradicate the BHOQ and avoid negative relational impacts. From the perspective of the individual who has asked a question, the simplest way to avoid potential negativity is to repeat and/or rephrase the question in a follow-up correspondence, noting that it was asked previously. This gives the recipient of the question an opportunity to answer the question and/or explain why it was not answered the first time.

Individuals who have received a question in an email or letter but aren't in a position to answer the question can acknowledge the question in their initial response, indicating that they will answer it at some future time. If it is a question that they prefer not to answer, acknowledging that they have received the question, but aren't sure that they can provide a suitable answer still acknowledges the efforts of the asker, and prevents the BHOQ experience.

Questions and answers are essential communication tools that provide vital information about each other and our environments, and utilizing these communication tools with care can only enhance our relational satisfaction. Taking the time to follow-up on a preciously asked question and/or acknowledging receipt of a question can go a long way to maintaining a positive relationship with colleagues, friends and relational partners.