Those of us lucky enough to live near an In-N-Out Burger know they relentless deliver two things: tasty burgers and outstanding service. A new book by BusinessWeek writer Stacy Perman explores how In-N-Out has consistently outperformed much larger fast food chains such as McDonald's and Burger King.

My wife, Sally, and I recently toured Napa Valley to visit the California wineries featured in a famous 1976 tasting in Paris. California wines won both the red and white categories, despite the fact that all the judges were French. The theme made for a fun trip, but we also discovered these wineries knew the Three Ways to Wow: build relationships, solve problems, and go the extra mile.

Sunday was the last night in Alexandria for my training project, and I had dinner my colleagues Ken and Vin along with Vin's wife Wendy. Vin and Wendy are from Toronto, Canada, so it was interesting to hear their perspective on the global economy as well as politics in the United States. As trainers, our conversation naturally turned to the role that learning professionals are playing in today's companies. One point we all agreed on was action doesn't equal performance.