Sit down with your boss and discuss his/her preferences.

• How does he/she want you to deal with family members?
• Does he/she have any preferences on outside-of-the-company calls?

When screening calls for your boss, do not make it obvious to the caller you are screening calls. State your boss is busy at the beginning of the call, then ask who is calling, take a message or try to handle the call on your own. If it is someone your boss does wish to talk to, politely say, "Let me check to see if (s)he is available." Announce the caller to your boss and let your boss decide to put the call through or not.

Some Tips

• Screening unwanted calls: The salesman who is trying to pitch his product may try sneaky ways to get you to put the call through, like sounding like an old friend. Be professional, take the information down and pass it on to your boss. When in doubt, take a message and let your boss decide if it is someone she knows or someone trying to get through.
• Lying for the boss: Hopefully you will not be asked to lie for the boss. But if your boss tells you to say, "Tell them I am not in,:" when in fact she/he is in, then try to be tactful and say that he/she is unavailable without lying.
• Ask if you can help: Listen to the caller and then, after you explain your boss is unavailable, offer your assistance. See if you are able to assist the caller and/or provide the information they are seeking.