But I like her

It's difficult to get past popular opinion sometimes. I find this especially difficult at work.

At my regular job, there is a woman who I generally describe as a bulldozer. Very focused, the woman knows how to get things done, and done well. But she's so focused that she doesn't seem to worry about how she presents things, she just does it. There are many that I work with that don't like her.
I think she's nice. She and I have never run amok, and she' constantly suggessting ways that I can better my business and inviting me up to her ranch to collect hers and things. She doesn't have to do that.
I think popular opinion is starting to wear on her. When I ran into her today, she wasn't as friendly. I smiled and said hello, and although she responded, she just didn't seem as "up" as I am used to seeing her. and I got the distinct impression that she knows that people don't care for her.
I still maintain that she is a nice lady. That she means well, she just has a great deal of focus. I hope she doesn't hear it when they say, "Im glad she's gone" when she leaves the room. I know she feels the attitude.

At Harbucks, there are a couple of people that the others don't like. and I will admit that some of those people come across as being pretty useless at times. But I know that I am not perfect, and that it is a difficult job to learn. High stress, and a lot of details. There's one in partcular that I really enjoy working with. And she is perhaps the most disliked of all. Persons who I started out respecting a bit fell in my eyes when they said, loud enough for her to hear, that they didn't like her, two seconds after being "nice" to her.
It makes me wonder what they say about me when I am not there,despite how nice they are when I am there. Maybe this woman rubs people the wrong way, but I don't think that she is the sort of person who would be difficult for the sake of being difficult. There are two sides to every story and I don't think my coworkers are taking that into account. So I try to make sure that I tell her that I have fun working with her because at least then she will know that someone likes her. It's not false, I really do.