We have sufficient evidence that people of any age can develop the social skills lkke empathy and communication. I've seen it occur with many but not all people who have had opportunities for development. Perhaps the most significant approach is giving people time to reflect on their intentions, actions and their real time consequences. Reflection and feedback become powerful tools for this kind of development, even more effective than didactic instruction.
We need to build these into how we structure time in organizations and learning contexts.