Biggest Challenges Faced by a Managing Editor at EDM.com
Jason, Managing Editor at EDM.com, finds the biggest challenge is "challenging staff to investigate a little bit more and innovate a little bit more," pushing them beyond comfort zones and habitual story topics to explore areas like cultural movements, even if it is "scary." This highlights the difficulty in fostering a creative and adaptable mindset within a team, particularly in a potentially formulaic field like music journalism.
Leadership, Innovation, Overcoming Challenges, Teamwork, Creativity
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jason Heffler
Managing Editor
EDM.com
University of Arizona
N/A
Creative Writing, Journalism
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Communication and Marketing
Video Highlights
1. Stepping outside comfort zones in writing and exploring diverse topics is crucial for growth.
2. It can be challenging to consistently innovate and avoid monotonous routines in writing.
3. Inspiring a similar mindset of stepping outside comfort zones in a team is a key leadership challenge.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
I think the biggest challenge is trying to challenge my staff. I want them to investigate a little bit more and innovate a little bit more.
It's very easy to get caught up in a monotonous routine, especially when you have certain topics and stories that you tend to gravitate toward. It can be very hard to challenge ourselves to really step out of our comfort zone.
For example, if you love music festivals and just want to write about them, it might be scary to write about something like a cultural movement. But you kind of just have to put yourself out there.
It's hard to inspire that kind of mindset in my staff, but we try.