Here's what we can say about 2020: it's over, and we got through it together while staying apart. A mere 12 months ago we didn't even know what social distancing was—and now it pretty much defines every aspect of our lives. So when we took a look back at what you loved on the Guru blog this year, it didn't come as much of a surprise that our top posts all had to do with with remote work and navigating change.

And like you, we're immensely proud of the work we've done in this year of video chat fatigue, so we're here to highlight everything we announced in 2020, from tons of new features, resources, and partnerships to events, reports, and our very own academy!

Jump to: Top blog posts • Everything we announced • What's next

Your favorite Guru blog posts of 2020:

How to Use Guru to Transition to Remote Work

Key insight: In remote work, your best bet is to over-communicate. Knowledge that might normally be passed by word of mouth will not be. Even if it’s something informal (“The best way to respond to a customer question today”) Guru can handle it — in fact, it’s how we share informal knowledge internally ourselves.

Sharing Trusted Information on the COVID-19 Coronavirus

Key insight: Your mental health is as important as your physical health, and the barrage of news around COVID-19 can feel overwhelming.

Here are some resources to help you reestablish a safe feeling.

Jumpstart Your Remote Work Policy With Quick Templates and Resources

Key insight: When you’re communicating via chat rather than face-to-face (or face-to-screen?) it’s important to bear in mind that neither side of the conversation is able to pick up on the non-verbal cues. This Card outlines some tips on how to best express yourself when communicating over chat.

Why Knowledge Management is Critical for Remote Teams

Key insight: This remote work trigger is a good, if sudden, wake-up call to prepare for the future — when employees will expect to feel as fully supported in remote work environments as they do in the office. COVID-19 or not, Gartner estimates that by 2030, the demand for remote work will increase by 30% as Generation Z fully enters the workforce. It’s time to think ahead.

4 Steps to Create Urgency in Change Management

Key insight: Successful change management requires buy-in and support from the majority of your organization. Even when a decision has already been made, internal buy-in is essential to successful transitions. You have to meet people where they are. This starts with actively listening to those impacted by the development so that they feel heard. Understand their pain points, let people ask their questions, and be prepared to answer. Don’t gloss over the difficult parts. By being honest, realistic, and forthright, you can simultaneously acknowledge concerns as well as excitement to create a shared sense of urgency.

Everything Guru announced this year:

January:

• Our free Starter Edition
• G Suite Add-On

February:

• New features:
• Card sharing in Slack's shared channels
• Tags and Verification for synced content
• Microsoft Outlook Add-In
• Support ticket linking
• Clickable Tags

April:

• Series C funding

May:

• New features:
• Updated API offering
• Favorites list
• Dynamic email notifications
• Remoticon and Remotathon (check out all session recordings!)
• Our report on the Knowledge-Driven Culture
• The Guru Academy

July:

• Microsoft Teams integration

August:

• New features:
• Improved search
• Verification dates
• Drafts

September:

• Card Template Gallery

November:

• New features:
• Search improvements
• Enhanced mobile app experience
• Drafts from Slack and Microsoft Teams
• Updates to task management
• Our report with Freshworks on the Future of the Customer Support Tech Stack

What's next

4 Easy Digital Detox Strategies for 2022

Well, first we're going to take a quick digital detox, and then we're jumping right back in to making Guru even more useful. Here's what you can expect in 2021:

• Simpler company-wide rollout
• Faster employee onboarding
• Clearer internal communications
• Many more ways to make remote work easier

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