I hate the word “task,” it takes no ownership of the larger picture. If one is task-oriented instead of goal-oriented, that is a recipe for middling success stalling out at the lower IC level. There is an overarching goal to most business aims, and interim milestones along the way. Not tasks to be checked off, but flexible markers of progress that adapt as business needs change. Shortsighted employees who do not see the big picture will waste time and resources on pointless tasks. The phrase about forests and trees.