I've had similar experiences in my own career. People skills are just that, skills which can be practiced. As an aside, your last paragraph made me think of a

I've had similar experiences in my own career. People skills are just that, skills which can be practiced. As an aside, your last paragraph made me think of a funny edge-case, the extrovert with poor people skills. This might look like a person who seeks out social interactions and may try to start or force a conversation without knowing when to end it or whether the other participant is enjoying it or feels like they're being held hostage.