[quote=davelj]I’m no expert on IBM by a long shot, but I’ve got a friend here in SD that works for IBM and I swear I’d be absolutely shocked if he’s worked more than an average of 10 hours a week for the last five years. He’s in sales, “works” from home, and does as close to nothing as I’ve ever seen a professional do. I think his base is around $125K and he’s made as much as $250K with bonuses and whatnot. I really like the guy – he’s a close friend – and he’ll tell you straight up that he doesn’t do shit. But it makes me wonder about what kind of controls IBM has in place and how much fat is out there. And he’s managed to survive the last couple of rounds of layoffs (although each time he’s a little concerned). Anyhow, just kind of interesting.[/quote]

As consultant, how many hours your friend works a week MIGHT not matter.
The classical story about ten thousand dollars for five minutes of work sounds like a joke, but could be a real case in IBM service business .
Whacking equipment with hammer…….. $1
Knowing exactly where and how hard to whack… $9,999