Doing the Impossible

Why You Should Never Ask for the Impossible in Construction

I recently came across a comment from an owner during a project discussion that left me stunned. The owner, in a calm and even slightly sarcastic tone, said, “I just want to know that the team is doing the impossible.” That one sentence perfectly captured one of the most damaging misconceptions in construction. The idea that pushing people to accomplish the impossible somehow demonstrates commitment or dedication is not only misguided, it is dangerous.

Before I get into why, let me share a quick thought that ties into this conversation. There is a saying I have heard over the years: “Lost ground can be taken, lost time never.” This simple phrase is a reminder that while we can rework, rebuild, or catch up on missed scope, we can never recover lost time. Once time is gone, it is gone forever. That principle alone should guide us to protect flow and avoid unnecessary panic.

In construction, our work is not just about schedules, budgets, and milestones. It is about people, real individuals who show up every day with their bodies, minds, and energy. When leaders demand the impossible, they are effectively asking people to sacrifice safety, cleanliness, and organization in the name of speed. That never works.

I have seen it repeatedly. When projects are pushed to do what cannot be done, the workforce takes shortcuts. Safety protocols are bypassed. Job sites become cluttered. Materials pile up where they should not. Too many people get crammed into too small of a space. Quality checks are skipped. In short, chaos takes over.

Panic does not deliver results. It erodes morale and productivity. It introduces mistakes and extends the very durations we were hoping to shorten. When too much is asked, crews become frustrated, and the productivity spiral begins. Overstaffing, overloading, and over committing do not help. They harm.

Let me illustrate confidence in leadership with a personal story. When I was a teenager, my bike was stolen by a group of skinheads. My father, a tall and strong man, tracked it down. He walked right into their yard, looked them in the eye, and calmly said, “That’s my bike.” And then he took it back. He was not rude or aggressive. He was confident and clear. That is how leaders need to show up on construction sites. Not by creating fear or panic, but by calmly setting the right direction with confidence and conviction.

That same principle applies to meetings and project organization. If leaders lack confidence, they often resort to pressure tactics. They push for the impossible to mask their own insecurities. True leadership is not about forcing results, it is about creating the right environment where results flow naturally.

So let me say it plainly. If you ever hear someone say, “I just want to know the team is doing the impossible,” that is a red flag. It means the project was set up wrong. Either the end date is unrealistic, the resources were miscalculated, or the project should not have been started in the first place. It is not a badge of honor to push people beyond capacity. It is negligence.

The smart move is to align scope, resources, and time in a way that is achievable. Flow is everything. Protect the people, protect the plan, and protect the time. That is how projects succeed.

I hope this reminder resonates. Construction is challenging enough without adding unnecessary pressure. We cannot afford to confuse dedication with self destruction. The best leaders know that success does not come from demanding the impossible but from building an environment where the possible is done consistently, safely, and with excellence.

On we go.

Key Takeaway

If you demand the impossible, you destroy safety, quality, and morale. True leadership creates achievable flow, not panic.