This is one of those stories that I debated about even using in this newsletter, I’m trying to avoid going too deeply into the polarized political pit. But, fact is, it’s become impossible to avoid in this work that you and I have chosen to do. Working successfully with the public and other stakeholders, particularly when you’re dealing with trying issues and trying people, requires a certain level of interpersonal skill. And, the fact also is, not everybody has those skills. You can ignore the lack of it for a while, but it will catch up to you. The good news is that in many cases, those skills can be acquired – learned – and we help people acquire them. But sometimes … it’s just very hard to be, well, likeable.