A euphemism for imprisonment I have heard is, "Making little piles out of big piles." This is referring to times when prisoners were used to do menial jobs, and when those jobs weren't available, or maybe there was some use in this, they would spend all day breaking big rocks onto small rocks.
A thought just flew into my head as I was organizing the numerous tasks I have to try and fit into my day, that management and specifically information work can be summed up by making little piles out of big piles.
There has to be a better way.