A new UK workforce study reveals how uncertainty is driving poor decision making and wasted time, leading to end of year frustration that rushes decisions in January.
A UK wide survey commissioned by the authors of The Uncertainty Toolkit and the founders of The Uncertainty Experts, who have recently joined the Mediazoo Group, found that decision making frequently stalls in December and is subsequently rushed in January, often leading to rework and regret.
The study, conducted among employed UK adults aged 25 to 55, explored how people respond to uncertainty at work and in daily life. The findings suggest uncertainty itself is not the main problem, but how people attempt to escape it.
Seven in ten adults say they would rather appear decisive at work than admit uncertainty, even when this leads to worse outcomes. Among senior leaders this rises to around eight in ten.
Respondents also reported that everyday moments of ambiguity such as waiting for news or receiving unclear messages are more anxiety provoking than global threats.
Rather than abstract or extreme ideas, people favour practical ways to prepare for the year ahead like skills development, AI tools, health, and spending time with others.
The findings help explain why unresolved decisions build up at the end of the year, while January becomes a period of rushed calls and poor judgement.
Katherine Templar-Lewis, Lead Scientist at The Uncertainty Experts and co-author of The Uncertainty Toolkit said: “After a long stretch of instability, it’s not surprising that organisations feel frustrated. What often gets labelled as a productivity or leadership problem is really about how uncomfortable people feel with uncertainty.”
“When things stay unclear for too long, we either freeze or rush decisions. The real skill is learning how to stay with that uncertainty long enough to decide well, instead of forcing an answer too soon.”
The research comes at a time of record global uncertainty. According to the World Uncertainty Index, 2025 recorded the highest levels on record, with volatility up to three times higher than during the middle of the Covid pandemic.
The research suggests prolonged uncertainty leads first to hesitation, then to rushed decision making, both of which carry significant costs in complex environments.
The findings form part of a wider body of work presented by The Uncertainty Experts and in particularly in The Uncertainty Toolkit, a new book published this January, which draws on four years of research in psychology, neuroscience, and behavioural science, supported by academic work with UCL.
The research concludes stronger decisions come from tolerating uncertainty, not forcing faster answers.
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