I questioned the same thing when we were planning this, but I actually like how it turned out. The patio and patio cover were a preexisting project we did last year. They ended up doing about 5' in either side of that post and it looks nice when you see it in real life. Because of how wide the steps are there it doesn't feel cramped. You don't feel like you're having to squeeze around the post to walk down. So I'd say just make sure the steps are wide enough and you should be good. But yeah, I agree when you see it on paper it makes you stop and wonder if it's a good idea or not.