During our first encounter we discussed personal and organizational resilience in time of the crisis​ and how different institutions have responded to the new circumstances. We were eager to learn from the National Bank of Belgium, Bank of Slovenia, National Bank of Moldova, and Bulgarian National Revenue Agency how they have coped with the overnight changes, kept their teams connected, and dealt with health challenges experienced by their employees. On the occasion, we were also happy to share our own experiences with regards to what measures we have taken to respond to and prepare for the “next normal.”

Meeting attendees agreed that in the pursuit of a sustainable future of our organizations' continuous learning and knowledge sharing of hands on experiences will play an important role. Or as Ms. Repanšek put it: “It pays off to invest in learning and knowledge sharing. The CEF pays attention to this area as it is an accelerator of individual and institutional development.” Vice Governor Badea shared this view and complemented this thinking by saying: “Your work is about people, about aspirations and the belief that by dedication to the learning journey, we are able to create memorable learning experiences and long-term knowledge. More than ever, we need to bring the learning and development process closer to the trainees, making all endeavors to promote accessibility, being aware of the need resilience on technology while being confronted with the cybersecurity risks that might affect the online activities.”

The next online encounter is scheduled for October 21, 2020, when we will talk about what, when, and how to communicate in a crisis.