While we're on this topic, managers don't invite your direct reports for one-on-one meeting out of the blue with no agenda. I've heard multiple people tell me they assume they're about to be fired.
Then HR rep shows up with a box of markers, paper, and are like, "we're doing drawings!" and I'm just like, "we're what now".
After talking to her, my colleague also thought she was in trouble somehow.
That said, it is a "management smell" when someone who is fired is surprised about it. There should definitely be preceding feedback to the employee that things are not working well and an opportunity to improve them first.
Turns out that it was a promotion.
There's about 50 people in the IT staff and there's one manager between me and the CIO. I might chat with her once a quarter as I pass her in the hallway, but due to COVID I haven't heard from her informally in quite a while.
I guess she really did just want to chat about how things are going. But for a quick 10 seconds I really did think "oh crap, I'm fired."