Overview
Negotiation is at the heart of success in the sports industry, influencing every aspect of operations, from sponsorship deals and player contracts to governance decisions and organizational disputes. Strategic Negotiation: Building Organizational Excellence by Gary Furlong and Joshua Gordon offers a transformative approach to negotiation by emphasizing the importance of both individual skills and organizational systems. This book provides a roadmap for sports organizations to elevate their negotiation capabilities and achieve long-term success.
Why This Book Matters
In a world where the stakes in sports are higher than ever, Strategic Negotiation: Building Organizational Excellence addresses a critical gap in the negotiation landscape. Traditionally, negotiation literature has focused on improving individual skills. While this is important, it overlooks the organizational systems and frameworks that drive consistent, scalable success. This book bridges the gap by introducing practical tools and strategies for developing negotiation as a strategic asset.
Whether you’re a sports executive managing multi-million-dollar sponsorships, a compliance officer resolving governance conflicts, or a coach negotiating player agreements, this book equips you with the insights and tools to build negotiation excellence across your organization.
Key Concepts
The Missing Half of Negotiation
Most negotiation training focuses exclusively on individuals. This book emphasizes the “missing half”: the organizational capabilities required for consistent success. It provides a blueprint for moving beyond reactive, ad-hoc negotiations to building scalable, repeatable systems.
Negotiation Capability Model (NCM)
The authors introduce the Negotiation Capability Model (NCM), a framework for assessing and developing organizational negotiation maturity. The model identifies four levels of capability:
- Level 1: Ad Hockery – Reactive and unstructured approaches.
- Level 2: Repeatable Competency – Standardized processes for predictable outcomes.
- Level 3: Adaptive Flexibility – Context-specific approaches tailored to partners and situations.
- Level 4: Optimized Performance – Collaborative, industry-leading approaches that maximize value.
Strategic Alignment
Negotiation is not just about closing deals—it’s about aligning negotiation practices with strategic goals. The book emphasizes the importance of embedding organizational values in negotiations to ensure outcomes contribute to long-term objectives.
Assessment and Diagnosis
Using tools like the Negotiation Assessment Tool (NAT), organizations can evaluate their current capabilities and identify areas for improvement. This data-driven approach avoids assumptions and ensures targeted interventions.
Six Key Organizational Capabilities
The authors outline six critical areas that organizations must develop to excel:
- Strategy, Values, and Direction (SVD): Align negotiation with strategic goals.
- Individual Fit (IF): Ensure negotiators operate within organizational frameworks.
- Human Capital & Organizational Investment (HCOI): Invest in training and resources to empower negotiators.
- Knowledge & Skills (KS): Build foundational and advanced negotiation competencies.
- Organizational Incentives (OI): Design incentive systems that align with long-term goals.
- Individual Interests (II): Balance individual motivations with organizational objectives.
Applications in the Sports Industry
Commercial Negotiation:
- Securing long-term sponsorship deals that maximize revenue while aligning with the organization’s brand.
- Negotiating media rights agreements that reflect the organization’s strategic vision.
Governance and Compliance:
- Managing stakeholder disputes within leagues or federations, such as NCAA policy changes or player union agreements.
- Building consensus in multi-party negotiations involving teams, leagues, and governing bodies.
Player Contracts and Team Dynamics:
- Balancing salary cap constraints with competitive team building.
- Structuring player agreements to incentivize performance and long-term alignment.
Notable Quotes
- “Negotiation is problem-solving. When both parties adopt a collaborative mindset, they can achieve outcomes that drive mutual success.” — Furlong & Gordon
- “Incentives drive behavior. Misaligned incentives often result in short-term wins that compromise long-term goals.” — Furlong
- “Prescription without diagnosis is malpractice. Organizations must assess their current negotiation capabilities before implementing improvements.” — Furlong
About the Authors
- Gary Furlong: A seasoned mediator and negotiation expert, Gary brings decades of experience helping organizations develop negotiation excellence.
- Joshua Gordon: A leading voice in sports conflict resolution, Joshua combines his expertise in negotiation, mediation, and organizational strategy to address the unique challenges of the sports industry.
Get the Book
Ready to transform negotiation in your organization? Dive into Strategic Negotiation: Building Organizational Excellence to learn how to:
- Build repeatable negotiation systems that drive consistent success.
- Align negotiation practices with your strategic goals.
- Move beyond transactional negotiation to create long-term value.