We do not know much about what makes a diverse team a welcoming place: sharing the same values and being supportive seems key to success. However, this is the goal, not how to get there. In our project, supported by the LTA at Heriot-Watt University as a QAA funded mini-project, using a qualitative approach, we asked colleagues in the School of Social Sciences about wellbeing, engagement, learning, collaboration, opportunities, mind-set, and professional development opportunities. Our data show the steps required to truly reflect on what it means collaborative practice in welcoming teams, and on the psychological factors that act as barriers or enablers of resilience in this context. The key ingredients for the development of a welcoming team are communication, sharing of the load and respect for others. These ingredients emerge independently from the location of participants (Edinburgh, Dubai or Kuala Lumpur), years of experience, and background.