Given the reduction $3\mathsf{SAT}\leq_p \mathsf{IndSet}$ as follows:
How can I argue that it's in polynomial time? I understand how the reduction works, but even though it appears rather trivial, I can't explain why it's efficient.
To place $\mathsf{IndSet}$ in $\mathsf{NP}$-Hard, we will show $3\mathsf{SAT}\leq_p \mathsf{IndSet}$:
Given $$\phi=\bigwedge_{m=1}^{n}(x_m\vee y_m\vee z_m)$$ with $m$ clauses, produce the graph $G_\phi$ that contains a triangle for each clause, with vertices of the triangle labeled by the literals of the clause. Add an edge between any two complementary literals from different triangles. Finally, set $k=m$. In our example, we have triangles on $x,y,\overline{z}$ and on $\overline{x},w,z$ plus the edges $(x,\overline{x})$ and $(\overline{z},z)$.
We need to prove two directions. First, if $\phi$ is satisfiable, then $G_\phi$ has an independent set of size at least $k$. Secondly, if $G_\phi$ has an independent set of size at least $k$, then $\phi$ is satisfiable. (Note that the latter is the contrapositive of the implication "if $\phi$ is not satisfiable, then $G_\phi$ does not have an independent set of size at least k".)
For the first direction, consider a satisfying assignment for $\phi$. Take one true literal from every clause, and put the corresponding graph vertex into a set $S$. Observe that $S$ is an independent set of size $k$ (where $k$ is the number of clauses in $\phi$).
For the other direction, take an independent set $S$ of size $k$ in $G_\phi$. Observe that $S$ contains exactly one vertex from each triangle (clause) , and that $S$ does not contain any conflicting pair of literals (such as $x$ and $\overline{x}$, since any such pair of conflicting literals are connected by an edge in $G_\phi$). Hence, we can assign the value True to all the literals corresponding with the vertices in the set $S$, and thereby satisfy the formula $\phi$.
This reduction is polynomial in time because $\Huge\dots?$
I've looked at many different examples of how this is done, and everything I find online includes everything in the proof except the argument of why this is polynomial. I presume it's being left out because it's trivial, but that doesn't help me when I'm trying to learn how to explain such things.