In America, we tend to hear about work in the form of results. I started a company, I fought x number of cases, I fundraised x amount of money and so on. Well-rehearsed 30-second spiels touting one-sided stats. The process in the background is rarely shelled out; leaving the listener in the dark about the "how?".
These achievements could be weighted by multiple factors such as how much time was spent on the project or on a different judgment level, how much time was spent with one's family during the project. By not weighting and thereby standardizing such accomplishments, we lose the real perspective. And I wager we also lose a sense of the person's values, priorities, and overall purpose. The same goes for companies and nations as well.
Bottomline: The means and ends debate is never-ending. In the midst of major financial institutions collapsing, you have to wonder just how all this happened. What was the process behind all this acquisition of wealth and why wasn't it protected better? Making a million dollars sounds fantastic. Asking provocative questions as to how one go to that million will really lets you know if their priorities jive with yours. Don't hesitate to get a perspective.