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Several years ago, I was invited to a little gathering at the well-regarded Hollyhock retreat center on Cortes Island in British Columbia. Unfortunately, I had to cancel not long before the event. Despite several close calls since then, I have yet to get to Hollyhock for any sort of event at all. This year, it looks like I’ll actually make it – for Web of Change 2007.

Even more than most conferences, this one is billed as being about networking and relationship building (on top of the very obvious renewal that can be found at a lovely place like Hollyhock). And while I don’t think I’m actually listed myself, I do look forward to meeting the people who are scheduled to attend.

I’m scheduled to lead a session on what looks like a very rich agenda. It will be on a topic that will be familiar to many of my readers:

Asking the Right Questions: Methods for Breaking the Technical Frame of Reference in Strategic Technology Planning

Many observers will agree that common complaints about technology projects — resistance to change, long sales cycles, inappropriate technology, unexpected costs, unused tools — are often the inevitable result of technocentric planning. The only way to unravel this problem is to go to the source and challenge the questions we ask – our actual planning methods, not just our intent. This session will include a short presentation of the core concepts of an alternative frame, followed by a group discussion exploring specific tactics that have worked and which help flesh out the alternative model.

I’m pleased by the highly interactive format of this conference because unlike the usual call for “interactivity” in conference agendas, this one has the potential to actually leverage the expertise of the participants to advance the ideas that I want to explore. I’m always on the lookout for peers.