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.

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":

“Just take it out of HR’s budget.” If that’s a common refrain among your execs at budget-setting time, it’s time to fight back. "It’s more critical than ever for you to be able to create and defend your budgets,” says Valarie Grubb, VP of Operations and Initiatives at NBC Universal, who spent much of her career building and justifying budgets at large U.S. companies.

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 does it take to jump the fence from your administrative role and be seen as a true leader in the company? The HR Specialist posed the following question to three of the leading HR thought leaders in America today: “What are the actions that a true HR leader takes to demonstrate leadership within an organization?” Their answers pointed to the following six actions:

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

Women leaders in Generations X and Y don’t go it alone or count on legal remedies to break the glass ceiling. They are highly interdependent. This distinguishes them from their predecessors. Today’s high-watt Silicon Valley women make heavy use of social networking to get ahead.

Do you aspire to work in the C-suite? You can safely assume that top executives will require a prized package of office skills. But most high-level execs say they also want assistants who have the “X Factor.” Love it or hate it, high-ranking executives want employees who can read minds, anticipate needs and supply that indescribable “something” that propels an executive toward success.

As people gain experience, they look back on their successes and overrate their judgment, says Malcolm Gladwell, distiller of social trends and author of The Tipping Point. Research shows that even when playing games of pure chance, people carry an illusion of control, thinking they can win because they’re “better.” A simple explanation: overconfidence.

Tina Turner may belt out, “What’s love got to do with it?” but my own rendition is “What’s age got to do with it?” Too often, I come across individuals who say they’d like to apply for such and such position but their age is a hindrance ... Your age can work in your favor if you let it. Decide to go for it no matter how many times you’ve circled the sun.

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.

Question: My department recently moved to a new building ... I was given an office that was originally designated for “Judy.” Judy seems offended by this change. I think she blames me for the decision, even though I had nothing to do with it. Now I’m starting to feel guilty. How can I fix this?

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:

It takes courage and a sense of security to use humor, especially in unfamiliar situations. Sure, it’s risky, but greater rewards generally require greater risks. Take John Golden, an amateur champion in golf who qualified for the U.S. Senior Open. The first day, he found himself on the green with Jack Nicklaus ...

Though work mates care about you, they pay more attention to messages that show there’s something in it for them, says Susan Mason, a principal of Vital Visions Consultants. So, for example, if you want something from your boss—whether it’s approval on a new printer purchase or a more flexible schedule—figure out what benefit she will realize. Figure out “What’s In It For Me?” from her perspective.

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.

It’s true and here’s why: Because legions of colleagues, current and past, have access to a job candidate’s profile on LinkedIn, their scrutiny keeps the candidate on the up-and-up. So potential hires are far less likely to lie about their job titles or dates of employment on a public profile as compared to a paper résumé.

A person’s business success has far less to do with one great decision than it does with sound day-to-day habits. “Most people think that there is some silver bullet to being great,” says Pam Bilbrey, co-author with Brian Jones of the new book, Ordinary Greatness. “Greatness is really about doing the ordinary, everyday things consistently well.” Here are a dozen habits to practice in your business (and personal) life:

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.

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.

Have you passed the Social Security wage base of $106,800 for 2009? Once you do, you save 6.2% in Social Security tax on every dollar of wages. Instead of pocketing the cash, you might allocate at least part of it to a 401(k) or other retirement plan.

Not me, because I don’t carry a BlackBerry, BlueTooth, wireless laptop, or even a cell phone — no PDA, no beeper, no mobile technology of any kind. But that’s because I’m not mobile; I’m here at this PC 12 hours a day, and at home the rest of the time. I don’t travel. But I’m in the minority ...

Have you ever worked with someone who made a mistake and denied it? You’re sitting there fuming while he points the finger at someone else. Not really the way to earn Brownie points from your fellow co-workers, is it? How should you act? Here are five steps to follow:

In a new SnagAJob.com survey, 39% of Americans who’ve been laid off or had a spouse laid off since December 2007 say the ax was a “blessing in disguise.”