managing difficult times upwards

It would probably be presumptuous to manage up. Express your support. Ask if there's anything you can do. Try to not add anything to their plate.

Exactly - Continue to do your job, minimise their problems and be ready to help if asked. Your best support will be in helping the work to run smoothly.

Go to your boss and tell them you'll do whatever it takes to help them through their situation. Hours, work, projects, whatever.

Step up, with love. YOu needn't a plan, but if there's something that takes him a lot of time that you know you could help with, make a suggestion. And, talk to your peers about what they could offer.

It's what you would want, and how great organizations work.

Mark

[quote="mahorstman"] Step up, with love. YOu needn't a plan, but if there's something that takes him a lot of time that you know you could help with, make a suggestion. [...]

Mark[/quote]

How high up the food chain can this approach work--is there a limit? Could it be interpreted obsequiously?

I think the key phrase there was "with love." People are going to interpret whatever they want to. And those "interpreters" are probably the undesirables that would suck up in this way. If your boss is the kind of person who interprets this way, you wouldn't want to step up "with love."

All we can do is "intend." If you intend to suck up, then don't be surprised at the interpretation. If you honestly attempt to help, that will come through.

All that being said, it feels a little weird to try to move too many levels up the ladder. After all, how close of a relationship can you have? If the relationship's there, then by all means be true to it.

All acts of service upwards in a vertical organization could be presumed to be obsequious.

It would depend on the offer, the recipient, and the offeror.

Mark