The key to helping someone become smarter is to make it clear, to everyone involved, that a deficiency in this area is not about intention. Employees who lack people smarts have no desire to create interpersonal problems with their teammates. They just don't understand the nuances of interpersonal situations, and they don't seem to realize how their words and actions impact others. If that person and his teammates know this and remind themselves about it, the process of helping him become smarter will be much easier and more effective.
