Avoid sending big files back and forth with your boss—try Dropbox, a virtual hard drive ... Hold a web conference free and invite up to 20 guests, with DimDim, which Inc. magazine calls the best in its class ... Print less by taking advantage of the less-popular settings in your Print dialogue box ...

Your morning is completely planned, with top priorities penned on your to-do list, when a boss derails everything with two additional, hefty tasks that he needs “ASAP.” Doesn’t he realize there’s only so much you can do? Here’s a calendar-planning tactic that will let the boss know where you spend your time and help you better manage your schedule.

Lavish office parties are as distant a memory as mimeograph machines for most workers. This year, as companies cinch their belts a little tighter than usual, how are you handling the holiday office party? Administrative professionals weighed in with their suggestions on our Admin Pro Forum:

Halloween may be over, but “ghost work”—the work left behind after colleagues are laid off—still haunts the employees who remain. According to a recent survey by the International Association of Administrative Professionals, admins are hit particularly hard by the spectre. Here are three tips to help you gain control of "ghost work":

It sounds like a nearly impossible challenge: employee appreciation on a lean budget? Try making employees heroes: heroes in their own eyes, heroes in the eyes of their peers and heroes in the eyes of their families. Here’s how:

Delays, cramped seats, rundown hotel rooms—who needs ’em? Here are five web sites that can help you plan a trouble-free trip: FlightStats.com, Raveable.com, SeatGuru.com, TripIt.com, Packinglistonline.com.

What should you do about a co-worker who takes advantage of a boss-less office? How do you bring this to your boss’s attention without appearing like a troublemaker? Here are some ideas for addressing a co-worker’s slacker behavior:

“My senior admin recently asked us what we should discuss during our monthly admin meetings,” a reader wrote. With time at a premium, this is a good point, as there’s an ever-increasing need for groups to get more real work done during regular meetings. Suggestions for making your next admin meeting more productive:

Wrangle all your to-do lists into order with these four online tools: Springpad, Zoho.com, Cozi.com and the Things application:

Help attendees convert decisions into action after the meeting ends. Here’s how:

How well can you capture the attention of someone receiving your memo? Your memo will capture readers if it includes one of the three R’s in its opening line: It should recommend something, reveal information or request that someone act. Test your skill by picking the best opening sentence in this example:

Blogs are spreading faster than kudzu in the business world, and for a reason: They help build relationships with customers, something every business and boss want to see. Here’s how to write blog posts for your company, without spending too much time, according to Stephanie Lloyd, founder and CEO of Radiant Veracity.

Whom do your co-workers look up to more, you or your boss? According to a recent Randstad survey, employees said that besides their parents, their co-workers were the most influential people in their lives.

Benefits consultant Ken Stahlmann spells out three keys to creating crowd-pleasing employee-recognition awards:

New business books are constantly popping up, each promising to change the way we work. Keeping up with the reading is challenging enough. But how do you get the most out of each book? Three tips from Fast Company:

A manager who asks only closed questions—those requiring specific answers—isn’t going to receive the most creative, resourceful answers. He might even stifle creativity and honest discussion. Generally, open questions that begin with a “why” or a “how” will bring more value to your work relationships.

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You’ve just had a brochure printed for your company and you notice a very big, embarrassing typo. What should you do? Tell your boss about your role in the mistake? Blame the colleagues who checked the final proof?

Learn what’s key to your organization’s success by asking your boss, “What keeps you up at night?” ... Devote 18 minutes a day to time management ... Snag a cheap, last-minute air fare by turning to Twitter ... Confront an awkward situation without having to say anything ... Help a lost smartphone find its way home.

Almost half of executives say that employees would be more productive if their companies banned meetings one day a week, according to a recent survey by OfficeTeam. That may be the case, but administrative assistants say meetings are still very much a part of every day—to a fault. How are admins taming the meeting madness?

Hiring managers tell National Public Radio that they’re steering clear of candidates who make digital job-seeking faux pas. For starters: not having an updated profile, with recommendations, on social media sites like LinkedIn.

Technology is blurring the lines between work and leisure and revealing real tensions between Gen Y, Gen X and baby boomer employees. A recent LexisNexis survey reveals divergent ideas about what is and isn’t an appropriate use of technology and software in the white-collar workplace:

Is the punctuation in this sentence correct or incorrect? This is in response to your daughter, Felicia’s enrollment in the XYZ program. An admin recently sent in the question, saying she suspected the single comma was incorrect, but she didn’t know how to write the sentence correctly.

Need help when personal and work commitments overlap? Try these tips to better balance your schedule: Keep a uni-calendar ... Pen in time for important others ... Ask for help.

Size matters when it comes to planning events. For smaller events, you can go solo. But for larger ones, it takes a committee, a nod from management and a zinger of a spreadsheet for keeping tasks and timelines on track. To help you track the details, try this sample checklist adapted from Midwest Meetings: