I collect new stories and content through a RSS aggregator and have a specific search term, “hack”. I get about 25 stories a week about hacks. These range from white hat attacks on systems, to cleaning and household tips, to leadership approaches and personal habits.

I have a bit of a problem with the word hack. It’s not just that it sounds dated – it’s up there with “surfing the web” or “dialling in” to Zoom meetings – but it doesn’t tell the whole story. To achieve some of the hacks in leadership and personal development, there is a cost.

The IKEA chief executive who schedules his day in 10 minute chunks is hacking productivity, but at the expense of freedom, creativity, and working outside the norm.

Creating templates for repeated tasks, automating your schedule, and setting standard responses for common questions will make you efficient, but take away the personal touch from people you might want to engage with.

By all means, use the word hack if it’s relevant but make sure you’re including what people might cut – and lose – as a result.