Fire Drill
A sudden urgent scramble, frequently manufactured. An executive asks a casual question; three layers below, it lands as a weekend. Half of all fire drills trace to someone's curiosity.
Heard in the wild
“The 'board needs it Monday' fire drill turned out to be one slide.”
Tone check: Danger
Before mobilizing, verify the fire. 'Who needs this and for what?' extinguishes a third of them instantly.