So often, the phrase "hold people accountable" really means "I wish the other person would change...and do what they are 'supposed to'." But you can't actually force anyone to change. However, you can change your responses and reactions to hold others accountable!
"I've asked so-and-so to do this-or-that a hundred times...and they still aren't doing it. What can I do to make make them change?" This (or a version of it) is a question that I am asked over and over again by frustrated leaders in all kinds of industries.
And my answer is always the same. "You can't force anyone to change or do things differently. However, you can change what you are doing. And when you change what you are doing, you will change the system, and your expectations, and that will change the outcome!
Two important things to consider here:
Leaders create the culture of an organization. They do it through their words and actions and by what they "expect and accept" as I always say. If you have a team member who regularly hands work in late, and you, as a leader, accept that (even if you feel grumpy and frustrated about it and let the team member know as much), you are creating a culture in which a) it is acceptable to turn in work late, even when the expectation is that work should be turned in on time, and b) you are creating a 'norm' in which it's okay for team members not to do as they are asked. If you accept late work from team members without consequence, then you are responsible for creating that culture...regardless of whether team members should hand in work late!
Power struggles take two people. If you constantly ask a team member to turn things in at a certain time...and they are constantly late...and you then complain to them, or others, but don't do anything about it, you, and the team member can get stuck in a power struggle loop. After a while, the power struggle loop may become so ingrained that it occurs habitually. And power struggles become part of your organization's culture.
Since you can't force anyone to change, and your actions, as the leader, create culture, when you find that team members aren't 'doing what they should be' and you've let those behaviors go on for a long time, here's what you need to do!
Change your response and reaction!
Instead of going 'round and round' in a power struggle, get out your organization's employee handbook, and show the team member what the consequences are for turning in work late, or other undesirable behaviors that go against company policies and expectations. Then follow through with those consequences...whatever they are! Change your response and reaction to holding people accountable! And actually hold them accountable!
Kind Leaders reflect deeply on their own actions (or lack of actions). Then they start changing culture by changing themselves!
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