Decision-Making as a Daily Routine | Tomoki Kamo, Dean of the Faculty of Policy Management
2023.11.16
Time seems to pass so quickly. Or rather, it reminds me of the words of a certain political leader: "It feels as if someone is behind me, driving me forward with a whip." Since I hold the position of dean, a role I am passionate about, perhaps it's only natural to feel this way.
SFC is moving at the speed of light. The ideal student that SFC aims to cultivate is not one who can adapt to dizzying changes, nor one who accelerates changes that are already occurring, but one who has the power to innovate society. That's why something is always happening.
What is required in such a daily routine is swift decision-making. To put it lightly, it means replying to work-related emails in a timely manner. Quickly firing back a response to an incoming email seems easy, but it's quite difficult. My apologies for various delays.
Decision-making. It is sometimes described as "choice." It is the process of identifying what the problem is, creating a selection of options to solve that problem, and then choosing one from among them. However, it seems that decision-making is not such a simple process.
The process of decision-making begins with defining what the problem is. Then, you gather information to create policy options. You generate options. You consider the rules for decision-making. You evaluate the pros and cons of the multiple options that have already been generated. Only then do you enter the stage of selecting an option. Firing back a quick reply to an email means going through this process in an instant.
There are many points in the decision-making process where errors can occur. Defining the problem should require creativity, but there is a risk of being trapped by a specific hypothesis. Creating options requires a wealth of information, but it is not always complete and can be distorted. In generating and evaluating options, one must be aware of judgmental biases, and the rules for decision-making can become ad hoc. Understanding one's own preferences and knowing one's own habits in choosing—these are the challenges hidden within the process of decision-making.
I sometimes read the memoirs of political leaders. One foreign leader stated: "Knowing the right thing to do is not enough to be a leader. You must do the right thing. No matter how much one calls oneself a leader, those who lack the judgment and intuition required for correct decisions are disqualified for their lack of insight. Those who may know the right thing but cannot do it are also disqualified for their lack of execution."
So it seems.
As I write this, a Slack message arrives from the secretary's office. It says that the deadline for the response requested in yesterday's email is tomorrow, but since I have events all day tomorrow, they would appreciate it if I could check it today if I have a chance. I shouldn't be receiving reminders like this. My apologies, H-san.