Know Your HBS Staff: Sylvia Chen – News

by Shona Simkin

Sylvia Chen’s path to Harvard Business School was anything but typical. After leaving medical school and a full Air Force scholarship, she worked in Massachusetts state government, the town of Lexington, and HBS Human Resources before finding her way to MBA, Doctoral, and External Relations. We talked with Sylvia about her role as the assistant director of talent management and program services, that big decision, what she likes to do outside of work, and more.

What was your path to HBS?
I’ve always known that I want to help people and when I was a younger, I thought that the medical field was how I could do that, by curing people’s illnesses.

But once I started, I realized that I had lost focus—I had been so intent on getting into med school that I hadn’t stopped to check in on if it was actually what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I began to see there were other ways of making an impact, especially in making day to day processes better, or in supporting my community and culture. So I moved into public service, first for the state of Massachusetts, helping retirees navigate new prescription coverage and then with the town of Lexington, managing benefits for their staff, teachers, and retirees.

When I saw this opening for a coordinator role in HBS HR, I thought, “Oh, this is great—I’ll have a much more expanded view of all HR functions in a large organization.” I was there for four years, first as a coordinator and then as a learning and development manager. Then I moved into my current role supporting MBA, Doctoral, and External Relations. It’s been almost two years now.

Tell us more about your role.
I describe my job as making sure staff what have what they need to be successful—how we hire and onboard new employees, how we recognize them, structure their space—as well as planning for staffing changes and how to best absorb or pivot so our teams stay supported.

I partner closely with HR, and I feel very lucky to have started my HBS career there and to know the people and their functions so well. We’re a 300 plus person department, so my role is critical in making sure that our staff get what they need. A lot of what I do is relationship building, so people feel heard and know that we are in their corner when navigating the ins and outs of HBS and Harvard.

What does your work look like day to day?
Every day is a little different. I could be speaking with people about performance management, helping a manager think through rewards and recognition for their staff, or working on streamlining our team processes.

MBA and Doctoral combined with External Relations in the two years since I started, so there’s still a lot we’re aligning on across all three areas. We want everyone to get to know the broader department and how they can support the arc efforts in their individual roles. We’ve been hearing good things about our team spotlights where each group presents on what they do, the wins and the troubles, because we’re all trying to gel and bridge that understanding.

Does this role fulfill your goal of wanting to help people?
Yes, absolutely. There are still times where I’ll think, “Oh my God, are people asking me for advice?” That’s imposter syndrome talking: “Do I really know enough? Should I be answering this?” Having such a supportive manager and team helps enormously. I have great sounding boards throughout the organization.

What are your favorite aspects of your job?
I love getting to know people on a deeper level. So much of my work is conversation-based, which starts out way before someone may have a work question. I’m hoping all my interactions with staff build trust and clarity. I may not always be able to deliver exactly what someone is hoping for, but that trust means they know I’ve tried. That trust-building and sense of community feel is especially important right now.

I’m a very social person by nature, and I love getting to know people and learning about their experiences; there are so many stories beneath the surface. Bringing those out brings a smile to my face and to others’ when we find those commonalities, and that that’s truly what I want to see. It is very fulfilling.

Tell us more about your decision to leave medical school.
Oh gosh. At the time I was so scared to speak up and say that I thought there might be other things in the world that would make me happier and bring me more joy and fulfillment. Looking back, it is one of my proudest moments.

I had worked for so long to make sure I got the best grades, built in the right extracurriculars, got into college and kept it up so that I could earn a scholarship and get into med school. Both my parents come from medical backgrounds, so that path was a big presence growing up. It was such a goal that I think I lost the plot a little bit.

In school, I was having physical manifestations of unhappiness and unease. Still, I kept thinking I could just stick it out, keep my head down and barrel forward. I had this opportunity to go through school without debt, and told myself I could sort it all out later.

It took a while for me to trust myself and to believe that my parents would understand—that I had made the right decision and chosen the right path for me. Looking back, I realize that if I had ignored my inner voice, I probably wouldn’t have met my husband, had the children I have now, or be the person I am today.

What do you like to do outside of work?
My life outside of work is very, very full right now. My sons, Charlie and Teddy, are three and six. Charlie goes to daycare on campus, so I tote him in every morning. Teddy is learning Mandarin right now—he impresses me every day and probably knows more characters than I do at this point. Charlie is the sweetest little guy. I’m a planner, so on weekends I’m taking them to museums and little hidden gems around town. I love planning family trips—showing my kids the world is very meaningful to me. We went to Beijing for a month and went on a cruise to Alaska—it’s a blessing to give them these experiences.

I’m also the planner in my group of friends. I love having something to look forward to, like brunches, dinner dates, and adventurous outings. I have a trip to Iceland coming up in March, which I’m so pumped for. When I have a couple of days with friends, my battery is recharged in a different way. When I’m back, I’m ready to tackle whatever is thrown my way (usually broccoli).