People talk at roughly 125 words a minute, yet we can think quite effortlessly at a rate of 400 words a minute. The difference between talking speed and thinking speed creates a huge barrier to effective listening. The good listener uses his/her excess thinking time to advantage, rather than allowing private thoughts to intrude and disrupt concentration. It is easy to develop techniques for using spare thinking time to aid effective listening. You can anticipate what is going to be said, mentally question what is being said, mentally summarise what has been said, or listen between the lines by giving attention to tone and volume, facial expressions, gestures and movements.