A common phrase I have heard is "like herding cats," which is relatable to anyone who has ever owned a cat and tried to get them to do anything. The first time I became aware of it was during Super Bowl 34 when it was used in a [commercial][1] for EDS, although it supposedly existed as [management speak][2] prior to that [1]: https://www.fallon.com/case/cat-herders-2/ [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Herders