'You have to get out of your comfort zone'
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Lisa Scully-O'Grady is a business and marketing consultant based in Dublin.
"One of my first jobs was for a corporation where half the staff were men and half were women," she says.
"I was in my 20s and, at the time, I thought the glass ceiling was a myth.
"I naively thought that if women didn't advance, it was probably because they didn't want to move up or weren't talented enough.
"When it comes to negotiation, I think it's largely down to women not being assertive enough and not having practised their negotiation skills.
"Girls are brought up to be polite whereas boys are a lot more competitive."
Up until two years ago, Lisa worked for a company in the UK where men largely made up the management structure.
"I did negotiate two pay rises while I was there and they were very much driven by me," she says.
"I suppose both times I felt compelled to ask for a pay rise and more responsibility.
"I was dissatisfied for months beforehand whereas I think a man would have spoken up sooner."
While she no longer works in a company structure, Lisa finds that she needs to use negotiation skills in her job as a consultant.
"It's something that you might be a bit afraid of doing but the more you do it, the easier it becomes.
"I think you have to push yourself and get out of your comfort zone.
"You might end up getting a 'No' but you won't have lost anything by asking."
