IJSP Number 6, 2024

56 intersection occurs suggests the specific style that can be used by the supervisor in this situation with the respective experience/maturity level of the therapist. Suppose the supervisor has determined that the experience/maturity level of the therapist in counseling activities is low. Using the Situational Supervision Theory the supervisor has placed an X on the maturity curve as in Figure 2. (above M1) Once the supervisor has determined the intention to influence the behaviour of the therapist in this activity, they can determine the appropriate initial style of supervision by drawing a line (dotted on the figure) at right angles from this point to the point where it intersects the bell curve (point marked with O on the figure). The intersection occurring in the S1 quadrant suggests that while working with this therapist who demonstrates M1 Maturity for this specific task, the supervisor should use an S1 style (the behaviour with high emphasis on the psychotherapeutic outcome/task - low emphasis on the supervisor-therapist relationship). If this technique is used to determine the appropriate supervisory style for all four experience/maturity levels (M1, M2, M3, M4), it is obvious that they correspond to the four supervisory behaviours (S1, S2, S3, S4); which means that M1 maturity level needs S1 style, M2 needs S2, etc. S (High) U P P Relationship O R T I V oriented E B E H behaviour A V I O U R (Low) High Emphasis on Relationships and Low Emphasis on Tasks S3 S2 High Emphasis on Tasks and High Emphasis on Relationships S4 Low Emphasis on Relationship s and Low Emphasis on Tasks High Emphasis on Tasks and Low Emphasis on Relationships S1 (Low) Task oriented behaviour. (High) DIRECTIVE BEHAVIOUR M a t u r e HIGH MODERATE LOW I m m a t u r e Maturity of subordinates M4 M3 M2 M1 Fig. 2. The situational supervision theory for the four styles