While estate planning books don’t typically spend time on the New York Times bestseller list, they can be a useful resource for organizations looking to develop their internal succession plan. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your estate planning process, I’ve put together a list of the most popular estate planning books, along with my thoughts on each.
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Top Books About Succession Planning
succession planning that works – michael timms
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With succession planning that works, timms does the best job of striking the right balance between detail and practicality. This is easily the most practical book in the mix, providing a structured approach with complementary templates for each stage of the process. this is a great option if you’re looking for a book to help you get something done.
My Rating: 4/5 – Best “something for everyone” book in the mix, but could have done more to simplify the process for those new to planning succession.
effective succession planning: ensuring leadership continuity and developing talent from within – william rothwell
Effective estate planning is easily the star of the estate planning arena. In terms of content, this is the only book you will need as Rothwell leaves no stone unturned. At the risk of being cliché, this could be considered the bible of succession planning and should be on the shelf of everyone involved in succession planning. That said, I wouldn’t recommend this to those who are new to Succession as they are likely to quickly become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content. starting here would be like running a marathon before going around the block.
My Rating: 4.5 / 5 – Short of a perfect rating due to its limited accessibility to those new to estate planning and, in part, due to my obvious preference by our sigma succession guide at the end of this review. however, make no mistake, if you are looking for a detailed estate planning resource, Effective Estate Planning is second to none.
business succession planning for dummies – arnold dahlke
You can’t argue with the success of the mannequin franchise. That said, I read a lot on airplanes, and as someone who is supposed to be an estate planning expert, you can understand why I didn’t dare read this in public. Admittedly, I had low expectations of this book (to the point of buying a used copy that apparently came from the Carver County Library). after a quick reminder of why I was reading it in the first place and recalibrating my perspective (and ego), I was pleasantly surprised.
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This is an excellent first book for someone new to estate planning. while it is light on templates and does little to offer straightforward tools that can be put into action, it does provide an excellent introduction to succession planning and provides the prerequisite of what to do and what not to do. this is a quick read (you can read it on a short flight if you don’t mind people seeing you reading a sucker book) to get you thinking about succession planning in your organization and provides a good foundation for when you’re ready to go deeper.
My Rating: 3.5 / 5 – An excellent, easy-to-read introduction to estate planning. you’ll need something else when you’re ready to act.
succession planning basics: christee gabour atwood
The Basics of Succession Planning lives up to its title, as it provides a very basic, high-level overview of succession planning. One big plus is that this book provides a quick and easy-to-understand overview of succession planning, making it a good introduction for someone new to succession. however, Business Succession Planning for Beginners does a better job of introducing succession planning while balancing this with the right depth of information. I’ll give atwood some credit for having a chapter on succession communication, as this is something most books ignore. As a bonus, Atwood includes a sample estate planning policy if that’s something he’s looking for. Like the book for dummies, this one offers a good high-level introduction and is well organized, but it just isn’t enough.
My Rating: 3/5 – This accomplishes what it set out to do, but other books do it better.
succession – noel m tichy
In succession, tichy follows the traditional business publishing recipe: load up on anecdotes from big corporations (the sizzle) and sprinkle on the main concepts of the book (the steak). Like other business books, Tichy draws somewhat on his work with GE and Jack Welch. there is nothing inherently wrong with this as it is effective and makes for an interesting read on what some (not me) might consider dry matter. As an occupational hazard, I read too many business books, so for me, the formula is running a bit thin.
It’s clear from the beginning of the book that Tichy brings decades of experience in succession planning, and since he’s worked with many of the companies he references, the case studies are better than most. While it’s nice, if I were looking for help bringing succession planning to my organization, I’d be overwhelmed after reading this book. If you buy this book, I recommend you listen to the audiobook first. there is an awkward setup at the beginning of each chapter and there is a lot of information in this book that will be easier to digest in audio format. Then grab a printout from the shelf and turn to page 349. There you’ll find Succession Planning: A Process Manual, containing all the practical material you’re looking for.
My Rating: 4 / 5 – Lots of very interesting real world examples followed by helpful and practical guidance.
your CEO succession playbook – natalie michael & brian conlin
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The CEO Succession Playbook is a simple, quick read that makes for a good introduction to succession planning. The foundation of this book is the author’s 6-step process and includes practical advice. however, I think it would be difficult for someone new to succession planning to put these concepts into practice, as the book is simply too high level. while there are some templates/tools within this book, a more “narrative advice” approach to succession planning is really needed; lots of great information but not enough detail to help someone take action. With that said, this book would be my choice for getting a CEO involved in succession planning or an HR professional looking for an introduction to succession.
my rating: 3.5 / 5 – really fun, but difficult for someone new to the action.
succession planning guide – sigma
While the books listed above are great resources, finding the time to read them can be a struggle. why not download our estate planning guide? This free workbook has zero fluff, yet offers everything you need for each stage of the probate process. all neatly packed into just 26 pages, and most of those pages are templates.
Inside, you’ll find functional templates and tools to help you through every stage of your estate planning process, including:
- measure the maturity of your current process
- determine where to focus your resources
- define what is required for success in each role
- identify succession candidates
- build and measure your talent pool
- document development needs, track progress and identify development opportunities
- measure and communicate success
My Rating: 5 / 5: No need to read 350 pages when you can only go through 26, no quibbles, and all the good stuff. simply the best resource if you are looking to make an estate.
Do you need help developing your estate plan?
sigma’s series of succession planning releases offer a simple and cost-effective way to create a robust succession planning process and ensure your organization’s leadership is positioned for success and prepared for the unknown.
Contact us to learn how our Succession Planning Launch Series delivers a personalized succession plan in 30 days and requires less than 8 hours (2 half-day sessions) of your leadership.
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