like herding cats

be like herding cats

To be very unwieldy or unmanageable; to be nearly impossible to organize. Usually said of a group of people. Getting all of the extended family into their right places for the reunion photo was like herding cats! It's like herding cats trying to manage all these different software development teams.
See also: cat, herd, like

like herding cats

Very unwieldy or unmanageable; nearly impossible to organize or control. Usually said of a group of people. Have you ever tried to get a group of 10 toddlers to stick together in a group? It's like herding cats! It felt like herding cats getting all of the family members into their right places for the reunion photo. It can be like herding cats trying to keep all our different departments on the same page.
See also: cat, herd, like
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • herd
  • herd cats
  • be like herding cats
  • like fighting snakes
  • like herding frogs
  • have no chance in hell
  • nip (something) in the bud
  • nip in the bud
  • nip something in the bud
  • be near to impossible
References in periodicals archive
"IT'S LIKE HERDING CATS." We've all heard the expression and winced at the very notion of trying to corral and mosey down the trail pushing members of a species with the least sense of herd mentality imaginable.
Cat herding
"Jeez, trying to get corporate approval is like herding cats."
Words at work
Leading lawyers is a lot like herding cats. Lawyers, and those who work with them, tend to have extreme personality traits that help them be good lawyers, but perhaps difficult leaders.
Is leading lawyers impossible?
Delta's creditors' committee consultant, Gordon Bethune, says Delta's interests are so diverse that getting enough of them to back any proposal is "like herding cats." Meanwhile, Delta's pilots union has increased its efforts to block the deal.
Company Watch - Delta Air Lines
"Those decisions are like herding cats. You get 17 cats in the box and one jumps out, you got to start all over again."
Worth repeating
So getting 12 of them going in the same direction is like herding cats."
Plugging the funding gap
A man in front quipped, "It's like herding cats." He laughed.
Linear thinking
Tim Hicks, ABC, a Web expert (and author of "A Guide to Using E-Mail Effectively," a Getting Started Series book available from IABC) passed on this quote: "Internet users are stubborn and independent - and steering them through your site is like herding cats."
Why go online? The real experience