Even though the new cultural model was now firmly in place, Jeff was concerned that the hospital and hotel projects weren't going very smoothly.

Bobby was not so concerned. “That's okay, boss. No projects go smoothly. This is par for the course.”

Still, Jeff had hoped everything would be markedly better than normal. “I just feel like things should be much more predictable by now.”

As for the leaders who had been re-interviewed by Jeff and agreed to a development plan, only one had to be let go when it became clear that hunger just wasn't part of his makeup. The others were making progress, though Clare wasn't sure that one or two of them would be there for the long term.

This also troubled Jeff, who thought that personnel situations would be completely resolved by now.

“Come on, Jeff,” Clare exhorted him. “We're almost where we need to be on hiring, the clients aren't even close to firing us, and everything is trending in the right direction. If you had told me six months ago that we'd still be in business at this point, I might have bet against you.”

Though he couldn't argue with her assertion, it still bothered Jeff that a couple of people who might not be team players still worked at VB.

“Yes,” Clare explained, “and we know exactly who they are, and what needs to be done to fix it. You have to remember how we were a year ago, and how most companies work.”

As he had grown accustomed to doing since his promotion, Craig gently scolded Jeff. “Stop making the perfect enemy of the good.”

Bobby piled on. “Yeah. You're not a consultant anymore. This is reality, and I'll take it.”

Though Jeff took great consolation in the reassurance of his experienced peers, he knew that he'd always be a little paranoid. And being a little paranoid was part of his job, he decided. Still, he wasn't about to change course. He had placed his bet, and needed to let it play out over time.