Love Talk Workbook for Men: Speak Each Other's Language Like You Never Have Before

by Les Parrott, Leslie Parrott

Overview

We set off to crack the code for meaningful conversation . . . a plan that would move our communication from good to great. And we found it. A deep and simple plan for everything a loving conversation has to offer. We call it Love Talk. —Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott

This men's workbook will help you personalize the concepts you encounter in the Parrotts' book Love Talk and put them to work in your relationships. Inside, you'll find exercises, assessments, self-tests, tips, applications . . . all the tools and guidance you need to

• Identify your personal communication style
• Understand how it interacts with that of your partner
• Talk your way to a healthier, stronger relationship

Love Talk is like no other communication book you've ever read. The fruit of years of research by two foremost relationship experts (who also happen to be husband and wife), this book forges a new path to the heart of loving conversation. You'll begin by identifying your security need and determining your personal communication style. Then you'll put together everything you discover to learn how the two of you can speak each other's language like never before.

This very day, you can begin an adventure in communication that will draw the two of you closer, and closer, and closer . . . consistently, in a way that creates the depth and connection you long for in your relationship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310359227
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	08/27/2019
Edition description:	Workbook
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.27(d)

About the Author

Number-one New York Times bestselling author and psychologist Dr. Les Parrott has been featured on Oprah, CBS This Morning, the Today Show, CNN, and The View, as well as in USA Today and The New York Times. His books, which include Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts and many others, have sold over five million copies. Les and his wife, Leslie, a marriage therapist, are the creators of Better Love.com, a resource for couples. Les and Leslie live in Seattle, Washington.

Dr. Leslie Parrott is a marriage and family therapist and codirector with her husband, Dr. Les Parrott, of the Center for Relationship Development at Seattle Pacific University. She is the author of First Drop of Rain and God Made You Nose to Toes, and coauthor with her husband of several bestselling books, including the Gold Medallion Award–winner Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts. Leslie is a columnist for Today’s Christian Woman and has been featured on Oprah, CBS This Morning, CNN, and The View, and in USA Today and the New York Times. Leslie lives in Seattle with her husband and their two sons. Visit Lesand Leslie.com

Read an Excerpt

Love Talk Workbook for Men
EXERCISE 1
GETTING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO
Someone once said that the achievement of your goal is assured the moment you commit yourself to it. We certainly agree with that. But long before a commitment to a goal is made, one must thoroughly understand his goal. So in this first exercise we challenge you to drill down deep on this thought. We want you to give serious consideration to where you would like to be as a result of completing Love Talk.We have a few ways, right off the top, to help you do just that.
Begin by perusing the following list of potential goals as they relate to communication. Circle any and all that pertain to you. Of course, jot down the goal you may have that is not in this list.
* Be a better listener.
* Stay on point.
* Don't finish my partner's sentences.
* Curb my emotions when talking.
* Be more sensitive to my partner's feelings.
* Think clearly before speaking.
* Avoid jumping to conclusions.
* Tune in to and discern my partner's emotions.
* Maintain eye contact while talking.
* Be more vulnerable.
* Be more comfortable with conflict.
* Speak with more clarity.
* Invite and receive feedback.
* Use more humor.
* Come across personally warmer.
* Express more genuine interest.
* Be more assertive with my needs.
* Better assess when to talk.
* Don't jump to conclusions.
Once you have circled the ones that pertain to you, note a specific time and place where you'd like to see that improvement. For example, if you circled 'Be a better listener,' you may write next to it that you'd like to do that when your partner is talking about her day at work or maybe when she is talking about her mother. The point is to be specific so you can actually recognize and measure your improvement on this goal. So go back to this list now and write something beside the items you circled to make them more specific.
Next, consider the following five realms of communication and indicate on each of the scales where you see yourself on it. Be thoughtful and honest as you answer.
Information Sharing: Stating your thoughts and feelings with accuracy and clarity without getting sidetracked or embroiled in emotion.
Weak Strong 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Listening: Paying respectful attention to the content and feelings of another in a way that they know they have been accurately understood.
Weak Strong 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Conflict management: Being aware of conflict and employing methods to diffuse it and move beyond it.
Weak Strong 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Problem solving: Working out effective steps with one another to effectively and efficiently reach a desired state.
Weak Strong 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Skill selection: Determining which communication skills are most useful at specific times.
Weak Strong 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Once you have rated yourself on each of these five scales, you may want to have your partner rate you on these same items. This can heighten your self-awareness as you begin to articulate your communication goals.
Finally, in this exercise, write down two or three specific goals. Consider what you have done in the above exercise. Be specific. The more specific the better.
Goal 1: __________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Goal 2: __________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Goal 3: __________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
Exercise 1: Getting Where You Want to Go K 9
Now that you have put your specific goals in writing, be aware of the huge step you have just taken. Only a very small percentage of people put their goals in writing---but those who do are more than twice as likely to reach them as those who just talk about them. And what's more, those who review their goals from time to time are ten times more likely to achieve them. So throughout Love Talk, we recommend that you revisit the goals to see how what you have just learned is bringing you closer to them.
Congratulations! You are off to a great start.

Table of Contents

	A Letter to Our Readers	5
1	Getting Where You Want to Go	7
2	Assessing Your Communication IQ	11
3	Your Current Couple-Communication Strengths	13
4	Let's Get Real	17
5	Finding the Time to Talk	21
6	Your Three Levels of Communication	23
7	Avoiding Unwanted Advice	25
8	Identifying Your Personal Fear Factor	27
9	Identifying Your Talk Style	29
10	The Head/Heart Self-Test	31
11	The Empathy Exercise	37
12	Speaking Her Language	39
13	Do You Hear What She Hears?	43
14	Reading Your Partner's Body Language	45
15	I Want to Read Your Mind	49
16	Is It Time to Clam Up?	51
17	Enough Advice Already!	53
18	Tuning In to Your Self-Talk	55
19	Testing Your Respect Levels	61
20	Talking from Your Strengths	65
	Small Group Discussion Guide	67

Editorial Reviews

'Couples will learn to communicate in a deep yet simple plan full of new insights that will revolutionize their relationships.'

Christian Retailing