People outside the agency world ask me, "What do you do?" I love to answer this question because I usually get some funny looks. It's obvious by the looks that people think I literally direct traffic.

So, for you newbies...or even oldies...here's what a traffic person does for an agency:

1)    Open jobs (projects) upon the AE/AC's request
I review the initial information from the client meeting and request additional info as needed (timelines, specs, etc...). I prepare a workback schedule that produces a project timeline and deadlines for all steps of the project to completion. And, on a more intangible level, I act (react) quickly to "hot" jobs/projects as they come rolling into our place.

2)    Manage workflow...yes, ALL of it
I revise all of the workback schedules as needed/requested in our traffic system. I am responsible for routing materials, which entails following all creative from the beginning of the project all the way through to delivery to the vendor and client. In short, I follow EVERY project from start to finish.

3)    Improve agency communication through all departments
Yeah, this is a big bear, as you might expect. I am the "Consistency Police." I make sure all of our processes and procedures are as effective and efficient as possible and am responsible for evolving the traffic system to meet our agency's needs.

In short, my two cents is that an agency without traffic is like a bicycle without wheels - it won't go anywhere.

I think there might be a lot of mystery surrounding my job as traffic manager. I'm not going to go into a boring job description; instead, I'd rather give you some myths I've heard about what I do all day and then dispel them with the REAL explanations below. Behold!

Myth: When I'm staring intently at my computer screen, I'm playing Cafe World or Tetris.
Reality: I'm sifting through the daily 280 emails, 96 system reports and a crap ton of task notes that come into CurrentTrack.

Myth: When I'm eating a sandwich for lunch, I'm thinking about how much I enjoy that sandwich.
Reality: I'm actually considering what HAS to get done after lunch/before the end of the day and how we're going to get there.

Myth: When I arrive in the morning, the first thing I do is check my personal email and text my bestie.
Reality:  I DO text my bestie...CurrentTrack is my bestie. Personal email is for sissies.

Myth: I'm gossiping at everyone's desks all afternoon.
Reality: I'm herding all of our cats into the big bag by checking status with everyone individually. Okay, I might goof around a little at each desk, but that's part of my mystique. I'm really just trying to get you to do what I want you to do.

Myth: I sit kind of weird in Jolt.
Reality: I'm making sure I hear everything that's said around our huge conference table. That means I gotta lean in a weird way sometimes.

Myth: When I'm out of the office, you all can mess around.
Reality: I'm everywhere. You can't hold me. Even when I'm gone, I know what you're doing.

As the traffic manager, I buzz around quite a bit and have the opportunity to catch a lot of conversations that go on around the office. One of the little ditties I hear quite a bit is "It's in the system!"

I admit that the system is my tool. Without CurrentTrack, I'd be mired in paperwork and job bags, buried under piles and piles of contact reports, purchase orders, change orders...the list goes on and on.

So, I'm the last one to complain at all about our team putting stuff in the system. BUT, hearing "It's in the system!" still sends a chill up my back! The system hasn't eliminated the need for human contact - just because it's in the system does not mean you can't answer a question when asked verbally.

CurrentTrack should never be a defense mechanism or a way to shirk responsibility. No matter how efficient our system is, we can never eliminate verbal communication or physical interaction. The system is a backup to verbal communication, and a great one at that. But, you may very well need to discuss complex details that are hard to explain in a progress report. The notes need to be in the system, YES, but you're response should never just be "It's in the System!"

From a productivity standpoint, relying strictly on the system can also slow down workflow. If a designer or media buyer reads a progress report and doesn't understand, they may put together an entire creative piece or media buy with an incorrect perspective. What happens then? They have to start over...easily prevented with a short conversation to make sure everyone understands the same concepts.

Since many of us still learn by example, here are a few great ones:

Print buyer - "What is the qty. for (whatever) job?"
AE - "It's in the system!"
SCREECH! (That's the sound of brakes squealing on the road)
The answer should have been:
"10,000. I may have forgotten to copy you on that progress report."
See? Look what's happened there. You've provided the answer, but also gently reminded the print buyer that there is a report in the system that can provide them with the answer, plus many more.

Art director - "When do you need to see that?"
AE - "It's in the system!"
EHHHHHHH! (That's the sound of the buzzer from Wheel of Fortune)
The answer should have been:
"Next Wednesday would be great if possible. I believe I put in a progress report with all of those details, so give that a look. If you have any other questions, I'm happy to answer them."
Again, you've given the answer so the work can advance, but you've also given a small nudge back to the hard work you did putting that stuff in the system in the first place.

So, let's all remember that the digital advancements we have certainly don't eclipse the need for human interaction.

You'd probably be surprised at all of the alternate titles a Traffic Manager can have. Well, let's first start with what a Traffic Manager does from a technical side. Here's a long description of my job, if you are interested.

Basically, it says that I'm in charge of shepherding all projects through the agency according to their assigned timelines and resources. Sounds pretty simple, right?

Well, that's where the alternate titles come in:

1. Situational Engineer (aka Puzzle Worker, aka Cat Herder)
With as many as 300 (is that number correct?) or more active jobs circulating through our 30-person shop at one time, the management of our tasks is no small puzzle. Have you ever seen one of these? Traffic management is just like that.

2. Dedicated Diplomat (aka Mediator)
I always have to keep my cool AND I always have to motivate our team to do what we need done on occasionally unreasonable timelines. I've always said I like to catch more flies with honey. Maybe my second career will be with the United Nations!

3. Ace Negotiator (aka Crisis Manager)
From time to time, stuff's gotta shift. You know how it goes - hot projects come in, deadlines change because of unforeseen circumstances, people are out for sickness or vacation. So, I have to get everyone to meet in the middle AND still meet project requirements.

I challenge you to find anyone else in the world who has the same job description as a marketing agency Traffic Manager!

I started watching Two and a Half Men faithfully last year. This season, albeit only two episodes in, has not let me down in the least.

Short synopsis of the premiere: Charlie finds out he might be a dad to an 8-year-old named Chuck. Even those who don't watch the show can appreciate Jon Cryer (Alan) singing "Cat's in the Cradle," right? And, you can't beat the comic value of Alan and Charlie's mom telling them that "spending time with one's children if over-rated." Not to spoil anything, but the kid isn't Charlie's (thank you, writers).

In the second episode, the brothers find themselves in a dispute about $38 and some stolen gasoline that forces Charlie to evict Alan from his place. Alan's ex takes him in while her new husband migrates over and ends up staying with Charlie. In the end, we are left wondering if Charlie will invite Alan back in...not much mystery there, though. The conceit of the show wouldn't really work unless the two co-habitated, right?

I love Charlie, Berta (the housekeeper) and Evelyn (Charlie and Alan's mom) the most. Charlie is 40 and still a legitimate player. You gotta respect that!  Berta, the white trash housekeeper is one of the most well-written characters on television and her comic timing is second-to-none. Evelyn is quintessential Malibu on a stick - she's got Botox, sleeps around and scorns motherhood.

I'm not such a big fan of Jake anymore - he's an annoying teenager now instead of the chubby-cheeked cuddlebunch he used to be. He's not been in the first two eps too much, so I suspect other viewers feel the same way.

So, hopefully as the season progresses, they'll keep the focus on Charlie, Berta and Evelyn!