Dive summary:

• Construction is not a business in which it seems likely that you will get ahead by saying "no" to clients, so it takes a long view and intestinal fortitude to be honest when what a client wants is not possible in the time frame in which they want it.
• As people and as professionals, contractors generally want to accommodate requests, but it is too easy to earn a reputation for not delivering by saying "yes" when "yes" is impossible.
• Being able to say "no" is nothing trivial; it's a skill set that comes with experience.

From the article:

We all try to be miracle workers, the go-to people who suffer from “yes-icide” at times.  ...