This paper focuses on social distancing and organisational learning of institutions in the post-pandemic crisis. The empirical material consists of in-depth interviews with cultural managers. Data analysis was framed within a qualitative grounded theory methodology as a dynamic, intuitive and creative process of inductive reasoning, thinking and theorizing. The data were subsequently assigned into categories of identified themes or topics compiled in the study. The coding process yielded over 160 concepts, of which 140 relevant ones were eventually used, creating a total of 6 categories: (1) privacy and security; (2) social distancing; (3) identity; (4) learning and support; (5) digitalization; (6) initiative and autonomy. The core category that emerged from these six categories is security, social networks and organisational sustainability. So as to analyse the chosen problems authors use a philosophical and sociological approach, that is based mainly on criticism of writing and the analytical and synthetic method. This study describes the phases of organisational learning and reveals turning points in understanding the future implications of events critical to the creation of new context-specific knowledge initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspired by research that has demonstrated the positive effects of focus on employees’ wellbeing and cognitive performance in change management, the current research aims to explore the social background of structural changes. This reasoning is rooted in the analysis of several mediating concepts such as social distancing, experience, language, social interaction and perspective taking. The outcomes of the research are significant as they provide recommendations that target crucial issues of organisational changes and barriers during the crisis situation understood in terms of disaster management.