Practicing ‘Work-Life Harmony’

For more than a decade, Yi-Chin Chen has served as executive director of Friends of the Children-Boston, a nonprofit that pairs at-risk Boston kindergartners with professional mentors who support their education and well-being through high school. The Chronicle spoke to Chen about what inspires her and how she manages her workload.

How do you describe your job to others?

No one day is the same, but it always has the same goal: showing up for the children and families we serve. That could look like working with my board to strategize our growth plan, meeting with our donors to share the impact of their gifts, or fixing the wobbly table where children do homework in our office.

How do you manage your time?

I practice work-life harmony instead of work-life balance. My weekly schedule looks like a mosaic, fitting in the most important things and leaving room for the unexpected.

What individuals or pivotal decisions helped you get where you are today?

Claudio Martinez, my long-time mentor and former supervisor, asked me to step into the deputy director role at Hyde Square Task Force — setting my career on a new trajectory.

What’s a little-known fact about you?

I am a photographer. I often volunteer to document milestone moments for people who couldn’t otherwise afford photography.

What keeps you up at night?

Worrying whether we’ve done enough that day for the children and families we serve. It is the question I ask myself every night!

What trait do you most seek out when hiring?

Creativity and out-of-the-box thinkers.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

K-dramas.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity from written responses to questions.

— Edited by Emily Haynes